Chemokine CXCR4 and CCR5 receptor modulators and uses related thereto

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to chemokine receptor modulators and uses related thereto. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds disclosed herein or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or prodrugs thereof. In certain embodiments, the compositions disclosed herein are used for managing chemokine related conditions, typically prevention or treatment of viral infections such as HIV or for managing cancer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the National Stage of International Application Number PCT/US2015/030923 filed May 15, 2015, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/994,182 filed May 16, 2014. The entirety of each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to chemokine CXCR4 and CCR5 receptor modulators and uses related thereto. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds disclosed herein, derivatives, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or prodrugs thereof. In certain embodiments, the compositions disclosed herein are used for managing CXCR4 and CCR5 related conditions, typically prevention or treatment of viral infections such as HIV or for managing cancer.

BACKGROUND

As of the end of 2007, an estimated 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1,200,000 U.S. residents are living with HIV infection (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS epidemic update, December 2008; The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet, July 2007). Although new infections have decreased in recent years, an estimated 2.6 million new HIV infections occurred worldwide during 2007 and approximately 40,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the United States.

HIV entry within the target cells involves a series of molecular events. The three main steps of virus entry within the cell are: (i) attachment of the virus to the subject cells; (ii) interaction of the virus with the co-receptors; (iii) fusion of the virus and subject cell membranes. Considering the complexity of the molecular events involved in viral infection, all three of these steps have been considered for the drug design. The T-lymphocyte cell surface protein CD4 is the primary receptor involved in the interaction with the viral glycoprotein gp120, but a cellular co-receptor is also needed for the successful entry of the virus within the cell. At least two types of such co-receptors have been identified so far, both of which are chemokine receptors, CCR5 and CXCR4. These chemokine receptors are therefore gateways for HIV entry, determinants of viral tropism and sensitivity. The two different HIV tropisms are characterized by their utilization of only CCR5 (R5/M-Tropic), only CXCR4 (X4/T-Tropic), or both. Entry inhibitors under development typically target the initial binding of viral gp120 to CD4 and the interaction of gp120 with cell surface chemokine receptors that serve as co-receptors for HIV entry (CCR5 or CXCR4). Westby et al., Journal of Virology, 2006, 80(10), 4909-4920.

Maraviroc, has been approved for HIV treatment in R5-tropic only patients. However, its usefulness has been restricted due to in part for the need for a tropism based pre-test (Trofile) and viral tropism switching observed during treatment. See Rossetti et al., Virological and Immunological Response to Antiretroviral Regimens Containing Maraviroc in HIV Type 1-Infected Patients in Clinical Practice: Role of Different Tropism Testing Results and of Concomitant Treatments, AIDS research and human retroviruses, 2014, 30 (1), 17-24. Therefore, the need exists for finding improved therapies.

Shen et al. report antagonists of human CCR5 receptor containing 4-(pyrazolyl)piperidine side chains. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2004), 14(4), 935-939.

Chapman et al., report preparation of pyrrolidine modulators of chemokine receptor activity. PCT Int. Appl., WO 2000/059502.

Compounds targeting CXCR4 have been developed primarily for treatment of HIV because CXCR4 is a major co-receptor for T-tropic HIV infection. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,308 discloses an antisense oligonucleotide to CXCR4 to inhibit the expression of the CXCR4 protein for use as an anti-HIV agent. International patent application publication number WO 2001/56591 describes peptide fragments of viral macrophage inflammatory protein II which are described as selectively preventing CXCR4 signal transduction and co-receptor function in mediating entry of HIV-I. Additional molecular antagonists of chemokine CXCR4 receptor are disclosed in PCT Int. Appls., WO 2012/075362, WO 2009/121063, and WO 2006/020415.

Studies have shown that CXCR4 interactions also regulate the migration of metastatic cells. Hypoxia, a reduction in partial oxygen pressure, is a micro-environmental change that occurs in most solid tumors and is a major inducer of tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic resistance. Hypoxia increases CXCR4 levels (Staller, et al. (2003) Nature 425: 307-311). Microarray analysis on a sub-population of cells from a bone metastatic model with elevated metastatic activity showed that one of the genes increased in the metastatic phenotype was CXCR4. Furthermore, over-expression of CXCR4 in isolated cells significantly increased the metastatic activity (Kang, et al. (2003) Cancer Cell 3: 537-549). In samples collected from various breast cancer patients, Muller et al. (Muller, et al. (2001) Nature 410: 50-56) found that CXCR4 expression levels are higher in primary tumors relative to normal mammary gland or epithelial cells. These results suggest that the expression of CXCR4 on cancer cell surfaces may direct the cancer cells to sites that express high levels of SDF-I. Consistent with this hypothesis, SDF-I is highly expressed in the most common destinations of breast cancer metastasis including lymph nodes, lung, liver, and bone marrow. Moreover, CXCR4 antibody treatment has been shown to inhibit metastasis to regional lymph nodes when compared to control isotypes that all metastasized to lymph nodes and lungs (Muller, et al. (2001) Nature 410: 50-56).

In addition to regulating migration of cancer cells, CXCR4-SDF-1 interactions may regulate vascularization necessary for metastasis. Blocking either CXCR4/SDF-1 interaction or the major G-protein of CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling pathway (Gal) inhibits VEGF-dependent neovascularization. These results indicate that SDF-1/CXCR4 controls VEGF signaling systems that are regulators of endothelial cell morphogenesis and angiogenesis. Numerous studies have shown that VEGF and MMPs actively contribute to cancer progression and metastasis. Thus, there is a need to identify CXCR4 antagonists for therapeutic applications in treating or preventing cancer.

SUMMARY

The disclosure relates to chemokine CXCR4 and CCR5 receptor modulators and uses in therapeutic and diagnostic applications. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to compounds disclosed herein, derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to compounds comprising formula I,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

ring A is a five membered heterocyclyl;

ring B is a carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

D is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, S═O, or a direct bond between T and ring A;

E is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

T is N, or CH;

m is 1 or 2;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5;

p is 1 or 2;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁸ is individually and independently at each occurrence alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁸ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to isolated compositions comprising compounds disclosed herein in substantially pure form.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to a pharmaceutical comprising a compound as described herein including salts and prodrugs thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, diluent, or carrier. In certain embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition is in the form of a tablet, pill, capsule, gel, or aqueous buffered solution.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to uses of compounds disclosed herein in the production of a medicament for the treatment of CXCR4 and CCR5 related conditions, such as, viral infections, abnormal cellular proliferation, retinal degeneration, inflammatory diseases, or as an immunostimulant or immunosuppressant.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound as described herein and another active ingredient such as an antiviral agent or chemotherapeutic agent.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to administering compositions disclosed herein in combination with a CXCR4 antagonist and/or a CCR5 antagonist such as maraviroc (selzentry) or vicriviroc.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to methods of treating or preventing an viral infection comprising administering pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound as described herein optionally in combination with another active ingredient to a subject in need thereof. In further embodiments, the subject is at risk of, exhibiting symptoms of, or diagnosed with a viral infection.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to uses of a compound as described herein in the production of a medicament for the treatment of a viral infection. In a typically embodiments, the viral infection is an HIV infection.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to methods of treating or preventing cancer comprising administering pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound as described herein optionally in combination with another active ingredient to a subject in need thereof. In further embodiments, the subject is at risk of, exhibiting symptoms of, or diagnosed with cancer.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to methods of making compounds disclosed herein comprising mixing starting materials and reagents under conditions such that the product is formed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates certain compounds and derivatives contemplated by the disclosure.

FIG. 2A shows data indicating compound 2 interacts with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

FIG. 2B shows data indicating compound 2 interacts with m7CCR5.

FIG. 2C shows data indicating compound 2 interacts with CXCR4.

FIG. 3 illustrated the preparation of certain embodiments of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 5A shows a schematic for a CD4 dependent/CCR5-tropic envelope cell-cell fusion assay (HeLa-C14:JRFL).

FIG. 5B shows a schematic for the CD4-independent/CXCR4-tropic cell-cell fusion assay (AC-TOne-X4:HIV8x).

FIG. 5C shows a synopsis of the HIV-1 Nef-M1:CXCR4 induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization (MMD) assay with fluorescence depolarization readout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments described, and as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, the preferred methods and materials are now described.

All publications and patents cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior disclosure. Further, the dates of publication provided could be different from the actual publication dates that may need to be independently confirmed.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order that is logically possible.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will employ, unless otherwise indicated, techniques of medicine, organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and the like, which are within the skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully in the literature.

It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification and in the claims that follow, reference will be made to a number of terms that shall be defined to have the following meanings unless a contrary intention is apparent.

Prior to describing the various embodiments, the following definitions are provided and should be used unless otherwise indicated.

To the extent that structures provided herein are compounds with tautomers by hydrogen migration, a skilled artisan would understand the formula to cover all tautomeric forms.

As used herein, “alkyl” means a noncyclic straight chain or branched, unsaturated or saturated hydrocarbon such as those containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, typically 1 to 4 otherwise designated C₁₋₄alkyl. Representative saturated straight chain alkyls include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, n-septyl, n-octyl, n-nonyl, and the like; while saturated branched alkyls include isopropyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, isopentyl, and the like. Unsaturated alkyls contain at least one double or triple bond between adjacent carbon atoms (referred to as an “alkenyl” or “alkynyl”, respectively). Representative straight chain and branched alkenyls include ethylenyl, propylenyl, 1-butenyl, 2-butenyl, isobutylenyl, 1-pentenyl, 2-pentenyl, 3-methyl-1-butenyl, 2-methyl-2-butenyl, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butenyl, and the like; while representative straight chain and branched alkynyls include acetylenyl, propynyl, 1-butynyl, 2-butynyl, 1-pentynyl, 2-pentynyl, 3-methyl-1-butynyl, and the like.

Non-aromatic mono or polycyclic alkyls are referred to herein as “carbocycles” or “carbocyclyl” groups. Representative saturated carbocycles include cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, and the like; while unsaturated carbocycles include cyclopentenyl and cyclohexenyl, and the like.

“Heterocarbocycles” or heterocarbocyclyl” groups are carbocycles which contain from 1 to 4 heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur which may be saturated or unsaturated (but not aromatic), monocyclic or polycyclic, and wherein the nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms may be optionally oxidized, and the nitrogen heteroatom may be optionally quaternized. Heterocarbocycles include morpholinyl, pyrrolidinonyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, hydantoinyl, valerolactamyl, oxiranyl, oxetanyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydropyridinyl, tetrahydroprimidinyl, tetrahydrothiophenyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, tetrahydropyrimidinyl, tetrahydrothiophenyl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl, and the like.

The term “aryl” refers to aromatic homocyclic (i.e., hydrocarbon) mono-, bi- or tricyclic ring-containing groups preferably having 6 to 12 members such as phenyl, naphthyl and biphenyl. Phenyl is a preferred aryl group. The term “substituted aryl” refers to aryl groups substituted with one or more groups, preferably selected from alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl (optionally substituted), aryl (optionally substituted), heterocyclo (optionally substituted), halo, hydroxy, alkoxy (optionally substituted), aryloxy (optionally substituted), alkanoyl (optionally substituted), aroyl, (optionally substituted), alkylester (optionally substituted), arylester (optionally substituted), cyano, nitro, amino, substituted amino, amido, lactam, urea, urethane, sulfonyl, and, the like, where optionally one or more pair of substituents together with the atoms to which they are bonded form a 3 to 7 member ring.

As used herein, “heteroaryl” or “heteroaromatic” refers an aromatic heterocarbocycle having 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and containing at least 1 carbon atom, including both mono- and polycyclic ring systems. Polycyclic ring systems may, but are not required to, contain one or more non-aromatic rings, as long as one of the rings is aromatic. Representative heteroaryls are furyl, benzofuranyl, thiophenyl, benzothiophenyl, pyrrolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, azaindolyl, pyridyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, oxazolyl, isooxazolyl, benzoxazolyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, benzimidazolyl, thiazolyl, benzothiazolyl, isothiazolyl, pyridazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, triazinyl, cinnolinyl, phthalazinyl, and quinazolinyl. It is contemplated that the use of the term “heteroaryl” includes N-alkylated derivatives such as a 1-methylimidazol-5-yl substituent.

As used herein, “heterocycle” or “heterocyclyl” refers to mono- and polycyclic ring systems having 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and containing at least 1 carbon atom. The mono- and polycyclic ring systems may be aromatic, non-aromatic or mixtures of aromatic and non-aromatic rings. Heterocycle includes heterocarbocycles, heteroaryls, and the like.

“Alkylthio” refers to an alkyl group as defined above attached through a sulfur bridge. An example of an alkylthio is methylthio, (i.e., —S—CH₃).

“Alkoxy” refers to an alkyl group as defined above attached through an oxygen bridge. Examples of alkoxy include, but are not limited to, methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, i-propoxy, n-butoxy, s-butoxy, t-butoxy, n-pentoxy, and s-pentoxy. Preferred alkoxy groups are methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, i-propoxy, n-butoxy, s-butoxy, t-butoxy.

“Alkylamino” refers an alkyl group as defined above attached through an amino bridge. An example of an alkylamino is methylamino, (i.e., —NH—CH₃).

“Aminoalkyl” refers to an amino group attached through an alkyl bridge as defined above (i.e., NH₂-alkyl-).

“Alkanoyl” refers to an alkyl as defined above attached through a carbonyl bride (i.e., —(C═O)alkyl).

“Alkylsulfonyl” refers to an alkyl as defined above attached through a sulfonyl bridge (i.e., —S(═O)₂alkyl) such as mesyl and the like, and “arylsulfonyl” refers to an aryl attached through a sulfonyl bridge (i.e., —S(═O)₂aryl).

“Alkylsulfamoyl” refers to an alkyl as defined above attached through a sulfamoyl bridge (i.e., —NHS(═O)₂alkyl), and an “Arylsulfamoyl” refers to an alkyl attached through a sulfamoyl bridge (i.e., —NHS(═O)₂aryl).

“Alkylsulfinyl” refers to an alkyl as defined above attached through a sulfinyl bridge (i.e. —S(═O)alkyl).

The terms “halogen” and “halo” refer to fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.

The term “substituted” refers to a molecule wherein at least one hydrogen atom is replaced with a substituent. When substituted, one or more of the groups are “substituents.” The molecule may be multiply substituted. In the case of an oxo substituent (“═O”), two hydrogen atoms are replaced. Example substituents within this context may include halogen, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, nitro, cyano, oxo, carbocyclyl, carbocycloalkyl, heterocarbocyclyl, heterocarbocycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, —NR_(a)R_(b), —NR_(a)C(═O)R_(b), —NR_(a)C(═O)NR_(a)NR_(b), —NR_(a)C(═O)OR_(b), —NR_(a)SO₂R_(b), —C(═O)R_(a), —C(═O)OR_(a), —C(═O)NR_(a)R_(b), —OC(═O)NR_(a)R_(b), —OR_(a), —SR_(a), —SOR_(a), —S(═O)₂R_(a), —OS(═O)₂R_(a) and —S(═O)₂OR_(a). R_(a) and R_(b) in this context may be the same or different and independently hydrogen, halogen hydroxyl, alkyl, alkoxy, alkyl, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, carbocyclyl, carbocycloalkyl, heterocarbocyclyl, heterocarbocycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl.

The term “optionally substituted,” as used herein, means that substitution is optional and therefore it is possible for the designated atom to be unsubstituted.

As used herein, “salts” refer to derivatives of the disclosed compounds where the parent compound is modified making acid or base salts thereof. Examples of salts include, but are not limited to, mineral or organic acid salts of basic residues such as amines, alkylamines, or dialkylamines; alkali or organic salts of acidic residues such as carboxylic acids; and the like. In preferred embodiment the salts are conventional nontoxic pharmaceutically acceptable salts including the quaternary ammonium salts of the parent compound formed, and non-toxic inorganic or organic acids. Preferred salts include those derived from inorganic acids such as hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, sulfamic, phosphoric, nitric and the like; and the salts prepared from organic acids such as acetic, propionic, succinic, glycolic, stearic, lactic, malic, tartaric, citric, ascorbic, pamoic, maleic, hydroxymaleic, phenylacetic, glutamic, benzoic, salicylic, sulfanilic, 2-acetoxybenzoic, fumaric, toluenesulfonic, methanesulfonic, ethane disulfonic, oxalic, isethionic, and the like.

“Subject” refers any animal, preferably a human patient, livestock, or domestic pet.

The term “prodrug” refers to an agent that is converted into a biologically active form in vivo. Prodrugs are often useful because, in some situations, they may be easier to administer than the parent compound. They may, for instance, be bioavailable by oral administration whereas the parent compound is not. The prodrug may also have improved solubility in pharmaceutical compositions over the parent drug. A prodrug may be converted into the parent drug by various mechanisms, including enzymatic processes and metabolic hydrolysis.

As used herein, the term “derivative” refers to a structurally similar compound that retains sufficient functional attributes of the identified analogue. The derivative may be structurally similar because it is lacking one or more atoms, substituted, a salt, in different hydration/oxidation states, or because one or more atoms within the molecule are switched, such as, but not limited to, replacing an oxygen atom with a sulfur or nitrogen atom or replacing an amino group with a hydroxyl group or vice versa. The derivative may be a prodrug. Derivatives may be prepare by any variety of synthetic methods or appropriate adaptations presented in synthetic or organic chemistry text books, such as those provide in March's Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structure, Wiley, 6th Edition (2007) Michael B. Smith or Domino Reactions in Organic Synthesis, Wiley (2006) Lutz F. Tietze hereby incorporated by reference.

As used herein, the terms “prevent” and “preventing” include the prevention of the recurrence, spread or onset. It is not intended that the present disclosure be limited to complete prevention. In some embodiments, the onset is delayed, or the severity of the disease is reduced.

As used herein, the terms “treat” and “treating” are not limited to the case where the subject (e.g. patient) is cured and the disease is eradicated. Rather, embodiments, of the present disclosure also contemplate treatment that merely reduces symptoms, and/or delays disease progression.

“Cancer” refers any of various cellular diseases with malignant neoplasms characterized by the proliferation of cells. It is not intended that the diseased cells must actually invade surrounding tissue and metastasize to new body sites. Cancer can involve any tissue of the body and have many different forms in each body area. Within the context of certain embodiments, whether “cancer is reduced” may be identified by a variety of diagnostic manners known to one skill in the art including, but not limited to, observation the reduction in size or number of tumor masses or if an increase of apoptosis of cancer cells observed, e.g., if more than a 5% increase in apoptosis of cancer cells is observed for a sample compound compared to a control without the compound. It may also be identified by a change in relevant biomarker or gene expression profile, such as PSA for prostate cancer, HER2 for breast cancer, or others.

Compounds and Derivatives

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to compounds disclosed herein, derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts and compositions thereof. Although it is not intended that certain embodiments of the disclosure be limited by any particular mechanism it is believed that these compounds are chemokine CXCR4 and/or CCR5 receptor modulators.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of formula I,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

ring A is a five membered heterocyclyl;

ring B is a carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

D is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, S═O, or a direct bond between T and ring A;

E is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

T is N, or CH;

m is 1 or 2;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5;

p is 1 or 2;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁸ is individually and independently at each occurrence alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁸ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, ring A is pyrazol-3,4-yl, pyrazol-4,5-yl, 1,2,3-triazol-3,4-yl, or 3-methyl-pyrazol-4,5-yl.

In certain embodiments, ring B is pyridin-4-yl or phenyl and R⁸ is a halogen or alkylsulfonyl, and n is 1 or 2.

In certain embodiments, ring B(R⁸)n is 2,3-dichloropyridin-4-yl, 2,6-dichloropyridin-4-yl, 3,5-dichloropyridin-4-yl, 3-(methylsulfonyl)pyridin-4-yl, 2-(methylsulfonyl)pyridin-4-yl), 2-chloropyridin-4-yl, 3-chloropyridin-4-yl, 4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl, 3-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl, pyridin-4-yl, and phenyl.

In certain embodiments, m is 1 and p is 1, or m is 2 and p is 2, m is 1 and p is 3, or m is 3 and p is 1, m is 1 and p is 2, or m is 2 and p is 1.

In certain embodiments, R⁷ is phenyl, pyridin-2-ylmethyl, pyridin-3-ylmethyl, pyridin-4ylmethyl, naphthalen-1-ylmethyl, naphthalen-2-ylmethyl, quinolin-8-ylmethyl, or benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylmethyl.

In certain embodiments, ring A is thiazolyl or pyrazolyl.

In certain embodiments, ring B is a six membered heterocyclyl such as 2-pyridinyl, 3-pyridinyl, or 4-pyridinyl.

In certain embodiments, R⁷ is alkyl, branched alkyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IA,

or salts thereof wherein,

ring A is a five membered heterocyclyl;

ring B is a carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

D is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, S═O, or a direct bond between T and ring A;

E is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O,

T is N, or CH;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁸ is individually and independently at each occurrence alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁸ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IB,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

Q is N, NR⁶, CR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

U is N, NR⁶, CR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

V is N, NR⁶, CR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IC

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

V is CH or N;

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula ID

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

Q is CH or N;

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, as least one or two of W, X, Y, and Z are N—R¹⁻⁴. In certain embodiments, W is N, and X, Y, and Z are not N. In certain embodiments, X is N, and W, Y, and Z are not N. In certain embodiments, Y is N, and W, X, and Z are not N. In certain embodiments, X and Z are N, and W and Y are not N. In certain embodiments, W and Y are N, and X and Z are not N.

In certain embodiments, R¹, R², R³, R⁴, or R⁵ are alkylsulfonyl optionally substituted with one or more R¹⁰. In certain embodiments, R³ is alkylsulfonyl optionally substituted with one or more R¹⁰. In certain embodiments, R² is alkylsulfonyl optionally substituted with one or more R¹⁰.

In certain embodiments, R⁵ is halogen. In certain embodiments, R² is halogen. In certain embodiments, R⁵ is halogen and R⁴ is alkoxy.

In certain embodiments, wherein Z is C—R⁴, R⁴ is alkoxy, and R⁵ is halogen.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IE, IF, or IG

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²;

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IH or II,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, R⁷ is branched alkyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IK,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein, ring A is a five membered heterocyclyl;

D is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, S═O, or a direct bond between T and ring A;

E is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

T is N, or CH;

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IL,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

V is CH or N;

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IM, IN, or IO

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IP,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

ring A is a five membered heterocyclyl;

D is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, S═O, or a direct bond between T and ring A;

E is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

T is N, or CH;

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IQ,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

V is CH or N;

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IR, IS, or IT,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IU, IV, or IW

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²;

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

R²¹, R²², R²³, R²⁴, and R²⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R²¹, R²², R²³, R²⁴, and R²⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³⁰;

R³⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R³⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³¹;

R³¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R³¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³²; and

R³² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, the compound is selected from:

-   4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine; -   3-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine; -   2-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine; -   2-(4-chlorobenzyl)-4-((4-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)thiazole; -   4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-2-chloropyridine; -   4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-3-chloropyridine; -   4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1-(4-(methylsulfonyl)benzyl)piperidine;     and -   4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1-(3-(methylsulfonyl)benzyl)piperidine;     derivatives,     optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different,     substituents; prodrugs; esters; or salts thereof.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula III,

or salts thereof wherein,

ring B is a carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

D is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, S═O, or a direct bond between T and the ring;

E is O, S, CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O,

T is N, or CH;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁸ is individually and independently at each occurrence alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁸ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIIA,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

Q is N, NR⁶, CR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

U is N, NR⁶, CR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

V is N, NR⁶, CR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIIB

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

V is CH or N;

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIIC

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N;

R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²;

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIID,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

A is a carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

-   -   n is 1, 2, 3, or 4;     -   U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;     -   V is CH, N, or C—R⁹, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with         one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹ and R² are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹ and R² are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²;

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

R²¹ is at each occurrence individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R²¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³⁰;

R³⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R³⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³¹; and

R³¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIIE, IIIF, or IIIG

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

R¹ and R² are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹ and R² are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²;

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl;

R²¹, R²², R²³, and R²⁴ are at each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R²¹, R²², R²³, and R²⁴ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³⁰;

R³⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R³⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R³¹; and

R³¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIIH,

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

E is CH₂, C═O, NH, or S═O;

U is NR⁶, C═O, O, or S;

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, formula I is formula IIII

derivatives, prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein,

R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁶ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁶ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁷ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁷ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰;

R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹;

R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and

R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethylsulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.

In certain embodiments, R⁵ is halogen in any of the formula disclosed herein.

Methods of Use

In certain embodiments, the compounds described herein are useful for the treatment of viral infections where the virus utilized CXCR4 and CCR5 to infect cells.

In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method of treating or preventing HIV infection or reduction of symptoms associated with AIDS is provided including administering a compound disclosed herein to a subject. In certain embodiments, the compound can be provided to a subject before treatment of infection with another compound. In a separate embodiment, the compound is provided to a patient that has been treated for HIV infection to reduce the likelihood of recurrence, or reduce mortality associated with AIDS related symptoms. In another embodiment, the compound is administered to a subject at high risk of suffering from HIV infections.

HIV is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Lentiviruses are transmitted as single-stranded, positive-sense, enveloped RNA viruses. Upon entry of the target cell, the viral RNA genome is converted to double-stranded DNA by a virally encoded reverse transcriptase. This viral DNA is then integrated into the cellular DNA by a virally encoded integrase, along with host cellular co-factors. There are two species of HIV. HIV-1 is sometimes termed LAV or HTLV-III.

HIV infects primarily vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to other viral or bacterial infections. Subjects with HIV typically develop malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system.

The viral envelope is composed of two layers of phospholipids taken from the membrane of a human cell when a newly formed virus particle buds from the cell. Embedded in the viral envelope are proteins from the host cell and a HIV protein known as Env. Env contains glycoproteins gp120, and gp41. The RNA genome consists of at structural landmarks (LTR, TAR, RRE, PE, SLIP, CRS, and INS) and nine genes (gag, pol, and env, tat, rev, nef, vif, vpr, vpu, and sometimes a tenth tev, which is a fusion of tat env and rev) encoding 19 proteins. Three of these genes, gag, pol, and env, contain information needed to make the structural proteins for new virus particles. HIV-1 diagnosis is typically done with antibodies in an ELISA, Western blot, or immunoaffinity assays or by nucleic acid testing (e.g., viral RNA or DNA amplification).

Subjects, including humans suffering from, or at risk for, HIV infection can be treated by administering an effective amount of the active compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable prodrug or salt thereof in the presence of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.

The administration can be prophylactically for the prevention of HIV infection or reduction of symptoms associated with AIDS. The active materials can be administered by any appropriate route, for example, orally, parenterally, intravenously, intradermally, subcutaneously, or topically, in liquid or solid form. However, the compounds are particularly suited to oral delivery.

In a separate embodiment, a method for the treatment or prevention of HIV infection or reduction of symptoms associated with AIDS by administering a compound or derivative of the present disclosure, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, prodrug, or ester thereof to a subject in need of treatment is provided. The compounds of the disclosure, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, prodrug, or ester thereof can be administered to a subject in need thereof to reduce the severity of AIDS related disorders. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the subject is a human.

In a separate embodiment, a method for the treatment of, prevention of, or reduced severity of liver disease associated with viral infections including administering at least one compound described herein is provided.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBC) infection is accompanied by inflammation and fibrosis eventually leading to cirrhosis. A study testing the expression and function of CXCR4 on liver-infiltrating lymphocytes (LIL) revealed an important role for the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway in recruitment and retention of immune cells in the liver during chronic HCV and HBV infection (Wald et al., (2004) European Journal of Immunology. 34(4): 1164-1174). High levels of CXCR4 and TGFβ have been detected in liver samples obtained from patients infected with HCV. (Mitra et al., (1999) Int. J. Oncol. 14: 917-925). In vitro, TGF-β has been shown to up-regulate the expression of CXCR4 on T cells and to increase their migration. The CD69/TGFβ/CXCR4 pathway may be involved in the retention of recently activated lymphocytes in the liver (Wald et al., European Journal of Immunology, 2004; 34(4): 1164-1174).

In another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method of treating symptoms associated with other infections associated with chemokine receptor activation, for example, liver diseases associated with flavivirus or pestivirus infection, and in particular, HCV or HBV, by contacting a cell with a compound of the present disclosure, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, prodrug, or ester thereof. The cell can be in a subject animal, in particular in a human.

The compounds or derivatives can be used to treat disorders of abnormal cell proliferation generally, examples of which include, but are not limited to, types of cancers and proliferative disorders listed below. Abnormal cellular proliferation, notably hyperproliferation, can occur as a result of a wide variety of factors, including genetic mutation, infection, exposure to toxins, autoimmune disorders, and benign or malignant tumor induction.

There are a number of skin disorders associated with cellular hyperproliferation. Psoriasis, for example, is a benign disease of human skin generally characterized by plaques covered by thickened scales. The disease is caused by increased proliferation of epidermal cells of unknown cause. In normal skin the time required for a cell to move from the basal layer to the upper granular layer is about five weeks. In psoriasis, this time is only 6 to 9 days, partially due to an increase in the number of proliferating cells and an increase in the proportion of cells which are dividing (G. Grove, Int. J. Dermatol. 18:111, 1979). Chronic eczema is also associated with significant hyperproliferation of the epidermis. Other diseases caused by hyperproliferation of skin cells include atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, warts, pemphigus vulgaris, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Other hyperproliferative cell disorders include blood vessel proliferation disorders, fibrotic disorders, autoimmune disorders, graft-versus-host rejection, tumors and cancers.

Blood vessel proliferative disorders include angiogenic and vasculogenic disorders. Proliferation of smooth muscle cells in the course of development of plaques in vascular tissue cause, for example, restenosis, retinopathies and atherosclerosis. The advanced lesions of atherosclerosis result from an excessive inflammatory-proliferative response to an insult to the endothelium and smooth muscle of the artery wall (Ross, R. Nature, 1993, 362:801-809). Both cell migration and cell proliferation play a role in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions.

Fibrotic disorders are often due to the abnormal formation of an extracellular matrix. Examples of fibrotic disorders include hepatic cirrhosis and mesangial proliferative cell disorders. Hepatic cirrhosis is characterized by the increase in extracellular matrix constituents resulting in the formation of a hepatic scar. Hepatic cirrhosis can cause diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver. An increased extracellular matrix resulting in a hepatic scar can also be caused by viral infection such as hepatitis. Lipocytes appear to play a major role in hepatic cirrhosis.

Mesangial disorders are brought about by abnormal proliferation of mesangial cells. Mesangial hyperproliferative cell disorders include various human renal diseases, such as glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, malignant nephrosclerosis, thrombotic microangiopathy syndromes, transplant rejection, and glomerulopathies.

Another disease with a proliferative component is rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is generally considered an autoimmune disease that is thought to be associated with activity of autoreactive T cells (See, e.g., Harris, E. D., Jr. (1990) The New England Journal of Medicine, 322:1277-1289), and to be caused by auto-antibodies produced against collagen and IgE.

Other disorders that can include an abnormal cellular proliferative component include Behcet's syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), ischemic heart disease, post-dialysis syndrome, leukemia, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, vasculitis, lipid histiocytosis, septic shock and inflammation in general.

Examples of cancers or proliferative disorders which can be the primary tumor that is treated include but are not limited to neoplasms located in the: colon, abdomen, bone, breast, digestive system, liver, pancreas, peritoneum, endocrine glands (adrenal, parathyroid, pituitary, testicles, ovary, thymus, thyroid), eye, head and neck, nervous (central and peripheral), lymphatic system, pelvis, skin, soft tissue, spleen, thorax, and urogenital tract.

In certain embodiments, the subject is diagnosed with acute childhood lymphoblastic leukemia; acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, adrenocortical carcinoma, adult (primary) hepatocellular cancer, adult (primary) liver cancer, adult acute lymphocytic leukemia, adult acute myeloid leukemia, adult Hodgkin's disease, adult Hodgkin's lymphoma, adult lymphocytic leukemia, adult non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, adult primary liver cancer, adult soft tissue sarcoma, AIDS-related lymphoma, AIDS-related malignancies, anal cancer, astrocytoma, bile duct cancer, bladder cancer, bone cancer, brain stem glioma, brain tumors, breast cancer, cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter, central nervous system (primary) lymphoma, central nervous system lymphoma, cerebellar astrocytoma, cerebral astrocytoma, cervical cancer, childhood (primary) hepatocellular cancer, childhood (primary) liver cancer, childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, childhood acute myeloid leukemia, childhood brain stem glioma, childhood cerebellar astrocytoma, childhood cerebral astrocytoma, childhood extracranial germ cell tumors, childhood Hodgkin's disease, childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma, childhood hypothalanic and visual pathway glioma, childhood lymphoblastic leukemia, childhood medulloblastoma, childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, childhood pineal and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors, childhood primary liver cancer, childhood rhabdomyosarcoma, childhood soft tissue sarcoma, childhood visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, colon cancer, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, endocrine pancreas islet cell carcinoma, endometrial cancer, ependymoma, epithelial cancer, esophageal cancer, Ewing's sarcoma and related tumors, exocrine pancreatic cancer, extracranial germ cell tumor, extragonadal germ cell tumor, extrahepatie bile duct cancer, eye cancer, female Breast cancer, Gaucher's disease, gallbladder cancer, gastric cancer, gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor, gastrointestinal tumors, germ cell tumors, gestational trophoblastic tumor, hairy cell leukemia, head and neck cancer, hepatocellular cancer, Hodgkin's disease, Hodgkin's lymphoma, hypergammaglobulinemia, hypopharyngeal cancer, intestinal cancers, intraocular melanoma, islet cell carcinoma, islet cell pancreatic cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, kidney cancer, laryngeal cancer, lip and oral cavity cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, lympho proliferative disorders, macroglobulinemia, male breast cancer, malignant mesothelioma, malignant thymoma, medulloblastomia, melanoma, mesothelioma, metastatie occult primary squamous neck cancer, metastatie primary squamous neck cancer, metastatie squamous neck cancer, multiple myeloma, multiple myeloma/plasma cell neoplasm, myelodysplasia syndrome, myelogenous leukemia, myeloid leukemia, myeloproliferative disorders, nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, neuroblastoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during pregnancy, nonmelanoma skin cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, occult primary metastatie squamous neck cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, osteo/malignant fibrous sarcoma, osteosarcoma/malignant fibrous histiocytoma, osteosarcoma/malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone, ovarian epithelial cancer, ovarian germ cell tumor, ovarian low malignant potential tumor, pancreatic cancer, paraproteinemias, purpura, parathyroid, cancer, penile cancer, pheochromocytoma, pituitary tumor, plasma cell neoplasm/multiple myeloma, primary central nervous system lymphoma, primary liver cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, renal cell cancer, renal pelvis and ureter cancer, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, salivary gland cancer, sarcoidosis sarcomas, sezary syndrome, skin cancer, small cell lung cancer, small Intestine cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, squamous neck cancer, stomach cancer, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal and pineal tumors, T-cell lymphoma, testicular cancer, thymoma, thyroid cancer, transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter, transitional renal pelvis and ureter cancer, trophoblastic tumors, ureter and renal pelvis cell cancer, urethial cancer, uterine cancer, uterine sarcoma, vaginal cancer, visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma, vulvar cancer, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, Wilm's tumor, and any other hyperproliferative disease located in an organ system listed above.

In certain embodiments, the compound derivatives disclosed herein can be used to treat or prevent hyperplastic disorders including, but are not limited to, angiofollicular mediastinal lymph node hyperplasia, angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, atypical melanocytic hyperplasia, basal cell hyperplasia, benign giant lymph node hyperplasia, cementum hyperplasia, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital sebaceous hyperplasia, cystic hyperplasia, cystic hyperplasia of the breast, denture hyperplasia, ductal hyperplasia, endometrial hyperplasia, fibromuscular hyperplasia, foca epithelial hyperplasia, gingival hyperplasia, inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia, inflammatory papillary hyperplasia, intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia, nodular hyperplasia of prostate, nodular regenerative hyperplasia, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, senile sebaceous hyperplasia, and verrucous hyperplasia; leukemia (including acute leukemia (e.g., acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelocytic leukemia (including myeloblasts, promyelocyte, mylomonocytic, monocytic, and erythroleukemia)) and chronic leukemia (e.g., chronic myelocytic (granulocytic) leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia)), polycythemia vera, lymphomas (e.g., Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's disease), multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, heavy chain disease, and solid tumors including, but not limited to, sarcomas and, carcinomas such as fibrosarcoma, myxosarcoma, fiposarcoma, chondrosarcoma, osteogenic sarcoma, chordoma, angiosarcoma, endotheliosarcoma, lymphangiosarcoma, lymphangioendotheliosarcoma, synovioma, mesothelioma, Ewing's tumor, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, colon carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sweat gland carcinoma, sebaceous gland carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, papillary adenocarcinomas, cystadenocarcinoma, medullary carcinoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, hepatoma, bile duct carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, seminoma, embryonal carcinoma, Wilm's tumor, cervical cancer, testicular tumor, lung carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma, bladder carcinoma, epithelial carcinoma, glioma, astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma, ependymoma, pinealoma, emangioblastoma, acoustic neuroma, oligodendrogliomia, menangioma, melanoma, neuroblastoma, and retinoblastoma.

In a separate embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for the treatment of, prevention of, or reduced severity of, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and other pathogenic states involving macular retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells by administering at least one compound or derivative described herein to a subject in need thereof.

CXCR4 plays a role in ocular diseases involving the retina such as age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The retinal pigment epithelium has a major role in the physiological renewal of photoreceptor outer segments in the provision of a transport and storage system for nutrients essential to the photoreceptor layer. The retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells predominantly express CXCR4 receptors. (Crane, et al. (2000) J. Immunol 165: 4372-4278). CXCR4 receptor expression on human retinal pigment epithelial cells from the blood-retina barrier leads to chemokine secretion and migration in response to stromal cell-derived factor Ia. J. Immunol 200; 165: 4372-4278). The level of CXCR4 mRNA expression increases upon stimulation with IL-113 or TNFα (Dwinell, et al. (1999) Gastroenterology. 117: 359-367). RPE cells also migrated in response to SDF-1α indicating that SDF-1α/CXCR4 interactions may modulate the affects of chronic inflammation and subretinal neovascularization at the RPE site of the blood-retina barrier. (Crane U, Wallace C A, McKillop-Smith S, Forrester J V. CXCR4 receptor expression on human retinal pigment epithelial cells from the blood-retina barrier leads to chemokine secretion and migration in response to stromal cell-derived factor Ia. J. Immunol 200; 165: 4372-4278).

Age-related macular degeneration is characterized by both primary and secondary damage of macular RPE cells. Early stages of ARMD are characterized by macular drusen, and irregular proliferation and atrophy of the RPE. The late stages of ARMD present with geographic RPE atrophy, RPE detachment and rupture, choroidal neovascularaization and fibrovascular disciform scarring. Common first symptoms include metamorphopisia and/or general central vision loss resulting in reading disability and difficulties in detecting faces. Late stages of ARMD cause central scomota, which is extremely disabling if occurrence is bilateral (Bressler and Bressler (1995) Ophthalmology. 1995; 102: 1206-1211).

In a separate embodiment, a method for the treatment of, prevention of, or reduced severity of inflammatory disease states, neovascularization, and wound healing including administering at least one compound or derivative described herein to a subject in need thereof. Vascular endothelial cells express a multitude of chemokine receptors, with CXCR4 being particularly prominent (Gupta, et al. (1998) J Biol Chem. 273: 4282; Volin, et al. (1998) Biochem Biophys Res Commnun. 242: 46).

A RT-PCR based strategy which utilized CXCR4 specific primers demonstrated that mRNA for the chemokine receptor CXCR4 is expressed not only in primary cultures and transformed type II alveolar epithelial cells (pneumocytes) but also in a number of epithelial cell lines derived from various other tissues. (Murdoch, et al. (1998) Immunology. 98(1): 36-41). Unlike with endothelial cells, CXCR4 is the only chemokine receptor expressed on epithelial cells. The receptor may have a functional role in epithelial pathology. CXCR4 expressed on the epithelium may facilitate the recruitment of phagocytic cells to sites of inflammation by direct effects on epithelial cells. CXCR4 may also have other functional roles within the immune response or participate in wound healing or neovascularization. CXCR4 may also be involved in the pathophysiology of several acute or chronic inflammatory disease states associated with the epithelium.

Certain inflammatory chemokines can be induced during an immune response to promote cells of the immune system to a site of infection. Inflammatory chemokines function mainly as chemoattractants for leukocytes, recruiting monocytes, neutrophils and other effector cells from the blood to sites of infection or tissue damage. Certain inflammatory chemokines activate cells to initiate an immune response or promote wound healing. Responses to chemokines include increasing or decreasing expression of membrane proteins, proliferation, and secretion of effector molecules.

In a particular embodiment, the compounds of the disclosure can be administered to a host at risk of, or suffering from, an inflammatory condition. In one embodiment, the compounds are administered for the treatment or prophylaxis of an inflammatory disorder. In certain embodiments, the inflammatory disorder or condition is mediated by chemokines.

Generally, inflammatory disorders include, but are not limited to, respiratory disorders (including asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis); cardiovascular related disorders (including atherosclerosis, post-angioplasty, restenosis, coronary artery diseases and angina); inflammatory diseases of the joints (including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis); skin disorders (including dermatitis, eczematous dermatitis and psoriasis); post transplantation late and chronic solid organ rejection; multiple sclerosis; autoimmune conditions (including systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Sjogren's syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, temporal arteritis, Behcet's disease, Guillain Barre, Wegener's granulomatosus, polyarteritis nodosa); inflammatory neuropathies (including inflammatory polyneuropathies); vasculitis (including Churg-Strauss syndrome, Takayasu's arteritis); inflammatory disorders of adipose tissue; and proliferative disorders (including Kaposi's sarcoma and other proliferative disorders of smooth muscle cells).

In one embodiment, compounds, compositions and methods of treatment of respiratory disorders comprising administering a compound as described herein to a subject in need thereof. Respiratory disorders that may be prevented or treated include a disease or disorder of the respiratory system that can affect any part of the respiratory tract. Respiratory disorders include, but are not limited to, a cold virus, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, irritation of the lung tissue, hay fever and other respiratory allergies, asthma, bronchitis, simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis, unspecified chronic bronchitis (including chronic bronchitis NOS, chronic tracheitis and chronic tracheobronchitis), emphysema, other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, status asthmaticus and bronchiectasis. Other respiratory disorders include allergic and non-allergic rhinitis as well as non-malignant proliferative and/or inflammatory disease of the airway passages and lungs. Non-malignant proliferative and/or inflammatory diseases of the airway passages or lungs means one or more of (1) alveolitis, such as extrinsic allergic alveolitis, and drug toxicity such as caused by, e.g. cytotoxic and/or alkylating agents; (2) vasculitis such as Wegener's granulomatosis, allergic granulomatosis, pulmonary hemangiomatosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, eosinophilic granuloma and sarcoidoses.

In one embodiment, the compounds or derivatives of the disclosure are administered to a patient suffering from a cardiovascular disorder related to inflammation. Cardiovascular inflammatory disorders include atherosclerosis, post-angioplasty, restenosis, coronary artery diseases, angina, and other cardiovascular diseases.

In certain embodiments the disorder is a non-cardiovascular inflammatory disorder such as rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, dermatitis, psoriasis, cystic fibrosis, post transplantation late and chronic solid organ rejection, eczematous dermatitis, Kaposi's sarcoma, or multiple sclerosis. In yet another embodiment, the compounds disclosed herein can be selected to treat anti-inflammatory conditions that are mediated by mononuclear leucocytes.

In addition, the disclosure is directed to methods of treating animal subjects, in particular, veterinary and human subjects, to enhance or elevate the number of progenitor cells and/or stem cells. The progenitor and/or stem cells may be harvested and used in cell transplantation. In one embodiment, bone marrow progenitor and/or stem cells are mobilized for myocardial repair. Further, the disclosure is directed to methods of treating animal subjects, in particular, veterinary and human patients, who are defective in white blood cell (WBQ 8 count, or who would benefit from elevation of WBC levels using the compounds disclosed herein. Moreover, the disclosure is directed to methods of effecting regeneration of cardiac tissue in a subject in need of such regeneration using the disclosed compounds.

The compounds or derivatives of the disclosure may be used for the treatment of diseases that are associated with immunosuppression such as individuals undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, enhanced wound healing and burn treatment, therapy for autoimmune disease or other drug therapy (e.g., corticosteroid therapy) or combination of conventional drugs used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and graft/transplantation rejection, which causes immunosuppression; immunosuppression due to congenital deficiency in receptor function or other causes; and infectious diseases, such as parasitic diseases, including but not limited to helminth infections, such as nematodes (round disclosure thus targets a broad spectrum of conditions for which elevation of progenitor cells and/or stem cells in a subject would be beneficial or, where harvesting of progenitor cells and/or stem cell for subsequent stem cell transplantation would be beneficial. In addition, the method of the disclosure targets a broad spectrum of conditions characterized by a deficiency in white blood cell count, or which would benefit from elevation of said WBC count.

Combination Therapies

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds and derivatives disclosed herein with another active ingredient.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to administering compounds or derivatives disclosed herein in combination with natural ligands of CCR5 and CXCR4. The natural ligands for the chemokine receptors CCR5 (RANTES, MIP-1α, and MIP-1β) and CXCR4 (SDF-1) can act as potent inhibitors of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) at the level of viral entry. Unlike antibody-mediated inhibition, chemokine-mediated inhibition is broadly effective. Different HIV-1 strains can utilize the same co-receptor(s) for viral entry and, therefore, can be blocked by the same chemokine(s). HIV-1 strains that are highly resistant to neutralization by V3-specific antibodies are sensitive to inhibition by chemokines. Therefore, the use of chemokine-modulators constitutes a therapeutic approach to prevent infection by HIV-1. Alkhatib et al., Science. 1996, 272: 1955-1988 and Challita-Eid et al., AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 1998, 14(18): 1617-1624.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating a viral infection by administering compounds or derivatives disclosed herein in combination with another, second antiviral agent. In specific embodiments, the compounds described herein are administered in combination or alternation with at least one compound that inhibits HIV entry into a cell through a mechanism not dependent on CXCR4, and in particular embodiments, are administered in combination or alternation with a compound that inhibits CCR5, gp120, gp41 or CD4 binding or activity. In some embodiments, such a compound is at least one of Maraviroc (Celsentri) or Enfuvirtide (Fuzeon). In yet further embodiments such compound is selected from TNX-355, PRO 250, BMS-488043, a theaflavin, Vicriviroc, Gruffithsin, DCM205, ESN196, TBR220, TMB355, Nifeviroc, BMS663068, CYT107, Sifuvirtide, AMD070, PF232798, SP01A.

In further embodiments, the subject is co-administered with abacavir, acyclovir, acyclovir, adefovir, amantadine, amprenavir, ampligen, arbidol, atazanavir, atripla, boceprevir, cidofovir, combivir, darunavir, delavirdine, didanosine, docosanol, edoxudine, efavirenz, emtricitabine, enfuvirtide, entecavir, famciclovir, fomivirsen, fosamprenavir, foscarnet, fosfonet, ganciclovir, ibacitabine, imunovir, idoxuridine, imiquimod, indinavir, inosine, interferon type III, interferon type II, interferon type I, lamivudine, lopinavir, loviride, maraviroc, moroxydine, methisazone, nelfinavir, nevirapine, nexavir, oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peginterferon alfa-2a, penciclovir, peramivir, pleconaril, podophyllotoxin, raltegravir, ribavirin, rimantadine, ritonavir, pyramidine, saquinavir, stavudine, tenofovir, tenofovir disoproxil, tipranavir, trifluridine, trizivir, tromantadine, truvada, valaciclovir (Valtrex), valganciclovir, vicriviroc, vidarabine, viramidine zalcitabine, zanamivir (Relenza), and/or zidovudine.

HIV is typically treated with a combination of antiviral agent, e.g., two nucleoside-analogue reverse transcription inhibitors and one non-nucleoside-analogue reverse transcription inhibitor or protease inhibitor. The three drug combination is commonly known as a triple cocktail. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating a subject diagnosed with HIV by administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein in combination with two nucleoside-analogue reverse transcription inhibitors and/or one non-nucleoside-analogue reverse transcription inhibitor or protease inhibitor.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating a subject by administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein, emtricitabine, tenofovir, and efavirenz. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating a subject by administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein, emtricitabine, tenofovir and raltegravir. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating a subject by administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein, emtricitabine, tenofovir, ritonavir and darunavir. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating a subject by administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein, emtricitabine, tenofovir, ritonavir and atazanavir.

In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein in combination with a CCR5 antagonist such as maraviroc (selzentry) or vicriviroc.

Banana lectin (BanLec or BanLec-1) is one of the predominant proteins in the pulp of ripe bananas and has binding specificity for mannose and mannose-containing oligosaccharides. BanLec binds to the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to treating viral infections, such as HIV, by administering a compound or derivative disclosed herein in combination with a banana lectin.

The cancer treatment may be applied as a sole therapy or may involve, conventional surgery or radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Such chemotherapy may include one or more of the following categories of anti-tumour agents:

(i) antiproliferative/antineoplastic drugs and combinations thereof, as used in medical oncology, such as alkylating agents (for example cis-platin, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, nitrogen mustard, melphalan, chlorambucil, busulfan and nitrosoureas); antimetabolites (for example antifolates such as fluoropyrimidines like 5-fluorouracil and gemcitabine, tegafur, raltitrexed, methotrexate, cytosine arabinoside and hydroxyurea); antitumour antibiotics (for example anthracyclines like adriamycin, bleomycin, doxorubicin, daunomycin, epirubicin, idarubicin, mitomycin-C, dactinomycin and mithramycin); antimitotic agents (for example vinca alkaloids like vincristine, vinblastine, vindesine and vinorelbine and taxoids like taxol and taxotere); and topoisomerase inhibitors (for example epipodophyllotoxins like etoposide and teniposide, amsacrine, topotecan and camptothecin); and proteosome inhibitors (for example bortezomib [Velcade®]); and the agent anegrilide [Agrylin®]; and the agent alpha-interferon

(ii) cytostatic agents such as antioestrogens (for example tamoxifen, toremifene, raloxifene, droloxifene and iodoxyfene), oestrogen receptor down regulators (for example fulvestrant), antiandrogens (for example bicalutamide, flutamide, nilutamide and cyproterone acetate), LHRH antagonists or LHRH agonists (for example goserelin, leuprorelin and buserelin), progestogens (for example megestrol acetate), aromatase inhibitors (for example as anastrozole, letrozole, vorazole and exemestane) and inhibitors of 5α-reductase such as finasteride;

(iii) agents which inhibit cancer cell invasion (for example metalloproteinase inhibitors like marimastat and inhibitors of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor function);

(iv) inhibitors of growth factor function, for example such inhibitors include growth factor antibodies, growth factor receptor antibodies (for example the anti-Her2 antibody trastuzumab and the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody, cetuximab), farnesyl transferase inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and serine/threonine kinase inhibitors, for example inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor family (for example EGFR family tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as: N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-7-methoxy-6-(3-morpholinopropoxy)quinazolin-4-amine (gefitinib), N-(3-ethynylphenyl)-6,7-bis(2-methoxyethoxy)quinazolin-4-amine (erlotinib), and 6-acrylamido-N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-7-(3-morpholinopropoxy)quinazolin-4-amine (CI 1033), for example inhibitors of the platelet-derived growth factor family and for example inhibitors of the hepatocyte growth factor family, for example inhibitors or phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and for example inhibitors of mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK1/2) and for example inhibitors of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), for example inhibitors of Src tyrosine kinase family and/or Abelson (AbI) tyrosine kinase family such as dasatinib (BMS-354825) and imatinib mesylate (Gleevec™); and any agents that modify STAT signalling;

(v) antiangiogenic agents such as those which inhibit the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor, (for example the anti-vascular endothelial cell growth factor antibody bevacizumab [Avastin™]) and compounds that work by other mechanisms (for example linomide, inhibitors of integrin ocvβ3 function and angiostatin);

(vi) vascular damaging agents such as Combretastatin A4;

(vii) antisense therapies, for example those which are directed to the targets listed above, such as an anti-ras antisense; and

(viii) immunotherapy approaches, including for example ex-vivo and in-vivo approaches to increase the immunogenicity of patient tumour cells, such as transfection with cytokines such as interleukin 2, interleukin 4 or granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, approaches to decrease T-cell anergy, approaches using transfected immune cells such as cytokine-transfected dendritic cells, approaches using cytokine-transfected tumour cell lines and approaches using anti-idiotypic antibodies, and approaches using the immunomodulatory drugs thalidomide and lenalidomide [Revlimid®].

Formulations

Pharmaceutical compositions disclosed herein may be in the form of pharmaceutically acceptable salts, as generally described below. Some preferred, but non-limiting examples of suitable pharmaceutically acceptable organic and/or inorganic acids are hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid and citric acid, as well as other pharmaceutically acceptable acids known per se (for which reference is made to the references referred to below).

When the compounds of the disclosure contain an acidic group as well as a basic group, the compounds of the disclosure may also form internal salts, and such compounds are within the scope of the disclosure. When a compound contains a hydrogen-donating heteroatom (e.g. NH), salts are contemplated to covers isomers formed by transfer of said hydrogen atom to a basic group or atom within the molecule.

Pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds include the acid addition and base salts thereof. Suitable acid addition salts are formed from acids which form non-toxic salts. Examples include the acetate, adipate, aspartate, benzoate, besylate, bicarbonate/carbonate, bisulphate/sulphate, borate, camsylate, citrate, cyclamate, edisylate, esylate, formate, fumarate, gluceptate, gluconate, glucuronate, hexafluorophosphate, hibenzate, hydrochloride/chloride, hydrobromide/bromide, hydroiodide/iodide, isethionate, lactate, malate, maleate, malonate, mesylate, methylsulphate, naphthylate, 2-napsylate, nicotinate, nitrate, orotate, oxalate, palmitate, pamoate, phosphate/hydrogen phosphate/dihydrogen phosphate, pyroglutamate, saccharate, stearate, succinate, tannate, tartrate, tosylate, trifluoroacetate and xinofoate salts. Suitable base salts are formed from bases which form non-toxic salts. Examples include the aluminium, arginine, benzathine, calcium, choline, diethylamine, diolamine, glycine, lysine, magnesium, meglumine, olamine, potassium, sodium, tromethamine and zinc salts. Hemisalts of acids and bases may also be formed, for example, hemisulphate and hemicalcium salts. For a review on suitable salts, see Handbook of Pharmaceutical Salts: Properties, Selection, and Use by Stahl and Wermuth (Wiley-VCH, 2002), incorporated herein by reference.

The compounds described herein may be administered in the form of prodrugs. A prodrug can include a covalently bonded carrier which releases the active parent drug when administered to a mammalian subject. Prodrugs can be prepared by modifying functional groups present in the compounds in such a way that the modifications are cleaved, either in routine manipulation or in vivo, to the parent compounds. Prodrugs include, for example, compounds wherein a hydroxyl group is bonded to any group that, when administered to a mammalian subject, cleaves to form a free hydroxyl group. Examples of prodrugs include, but are not limited to, acetate, formate and benzoate derivatives of alcohol functional groups in the compounds. Methods of structuring a compound as prodrugs can be found in the book of Testa and Mayer, Hydrolysis in Drug and Prodrug Metabolism, Wiley (2006). Typical prodrugs form the active metabolite by transformation of the prodrug by hydrolytic enzymes, the hydrolysis of amide, lactams, peptides, carboxylic acid esters, epoxides or the cleavage of esters of inorganic acids.

Pharmaceutical compositions for use in the present disclosure typically comprise an effective amount of a compound and a suitable pharmaceutical acceptable carrier. The preparations may be prepared in a manner known per se, which usually involves mixing the at least one compound according to the disclosure with the one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, and, if desired, in combination with other pharmaceutical active compounds, when necessary under aseptic conditions. Reference is again made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,372,778, 6,369,086, 6,369,087 and 6,372,733 and the further references mentioned above, as well as to the standard handbooks, such as the latest edition of Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Generally, for pharmaceutical use, the compounds may be formulated as a pharmaceutical preparation comprising at least one compound and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient and/or adjuvant, and optionally one or more further pharmaceutically active compounds.

The pharmaceutical preparations of the disclosure are preferably in a unit dosage form, and may be suitably packaged, for example in a box, blister, vial, bottle, sachet, ampoule or in any other suitable single-dose or multi-dose holder or container (which may be properly labeled); optionally with one or more leaflets containing product information and/or instructions for use. Generally, such unit dosages will contain between 1 and 1000 mg, and usually between 5 and 500 mg, of the at least one compound of the disclosure, e.g. about 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300 or 400 mg per unit dosage.

The compounds can be administered by a variety of routes including the oral, ocular, rectal, transdermal, subcutaneous, intravenous, intramuscular or intranasal routes, depending mainly on the specific preparation used. The compound will generally be administered in an “effective amount”, by which is meant any amount of a compound that, upon suitable administration, is sufficient to achieve the desired therapeutic or prophylactic effect in the subject to which it is administered.

Usually, depending on the condition to be prevented or treated and the route of administration, such an effective amount will usually be between 0.01 to 1000 mg per kilogram body weight of the patient per day, more often between 0.1 and 500 mg, such as between 1 and 250 mg, for example about 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 mg, per kilogram body weight of the patient per day, which may be administered as a single daily dose, divided over one or more daily doses. The amount(s) to be administered, the route of administration and the further treatment regimen may be determined by the treating clinician, depending on factors such as the age, gender and general condition of the patient and the nature and severity of the disease/symptoms to be treated. Reference is again made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,372,778; 6,369,086; 6,369,087; and 6,372,733 and the further references mentioned above, as well as to the standard handbooks, such as the latest edition of Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Depending upon the manner of introduction, the compounds described herein may be formulated in a variety of ways. Formulations containing one or more compounds can be prepared in various pharmaceutical forms, such as granules, tablets, capsules, suppositories, powders, controlled release formulations, suspensions, emulsions, creams, gels, ointments, salves, lotions, or aerosols and the like. Preferably, these formulations are employed in solid dosage forms suitable for simple, and preferably oral, administration of precise dosages. Solid dosage forms for oral administration include, but are not limited to, tablets, soft or hard gelatin or non-gelatin capsules, and caplets. However, liquid dosage forms, such as solutions, syrups, suspension, shakes, etc. can also be utilized. In another embodiment, the formulation is administered topically. Suitable topical formulations include, but are not limited to, lotions, ointments, creams, and gels. In a preferred embodiment, the topical formulation is a gel. In another embodiment, the formulation is administered intranasally.

Formulations containing one or more of the compounds described herein may be prepared using a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier composed of materials that are considered safe and effective and may be administered to an individual without causing undesirable biological side effects or unwanted interactions. The carrier is all components present in the pharmaceutical formulation other than the active ingredient or ingredients. As generally used herein “carrier” includes, but is not limited to, diluents, binders, lubricants, disintegrators, fillers, pH modifying agents, preservatives, antioxidants, solubility enhancers, and coating compositions.

Carrier also includes all components of the coating composition which may include plasticizers, pigments, colorants, stabilizing agents, and glidants. Delayed release, extended release, and/or pulsatile release dosage formulations may be prepared as described in standard references such as “Pharmaceutical dosage form tablets”, eds. Liberman et. al. (New York, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1989), “Remington—The science and practice of pharmacy”, 20th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md., 2000, and “Pharmaceutical dosage forms and drug delivery systems”, 6th Edition, Ansel et al., (Media, Pa.: Williams and Wilkins, 1995). These references provide information on carriers, materials, equipment and process for preparing tablets and capsules and delayed release dosage forms of tablets, capsules, and granules.

Examples of suitable coating materials include, but are not limited to, cellulose polymers such as cellulose acetate phthalate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate; polyvinyl acetate phthalate, acrylic acid polymers and copolymers, and methacrylic resins that are commercially available under the trade name EUDRAGIT® (Roth Pharma, Westerstadt, Germany), zein, shellac, and polysaccharides.

Additionally, the coating material may contain conventional carriers such as plasticizers, pigments, colorants, glidants, stabilization agents, pore formers and surfactants.

Optional pharmaceutically acceptable excipients present in the drug-containing tablets, beads, granules or particles include, but are not limited to, diluents, binders, lubricants, disintegrants, colorants, stabilizers, and surfactants. Diluents, also referred to as “fillers,” are typically necessary to increase the bulk of a solid dosage form so that a practical size is provided for compression of tablets or formation of beads and granules. Suitable diluents include, but are not limited to, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, calcium sulfate, lactose, sucrose, mannitol, sorbitol, cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, kaolin, sodium chloride, dry starch, hydrolyzed starches, pregelatinized starch, silicone dioxide, titanium oxide, magnesium aluminum silicate and powdered sugar.

Binders are used to impart cohesive qualities to a solid dosage formulation, and thus ensure that a tablet or bead or granule remains intact after the formation of the dosage forms. Suitable binder materials include, but are not limited to, starch, pregelatinized starch, gelatin, sugars (including sucrose, glucose, dextrose, lactose and sorbitol), polyethylene glycol, waxes, natural and synthetic gums such as acacia, tragacanth, sodium alginate, cellulose, including hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, ethylcellulose, and veegum, and synthetic polymers such as acrylic acid and methacrylic acid copolymers, methacrylic acid copolymers, methyl methacrylate copolymers, aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymers, polyacrylic acid/polymethacrylic acid and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Lubricants are used to facilitate tablet manufacture. Examples of suitable lubricants include, but are not limited to, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, stearic acid, glycerol behenate, polyethylene glycol, talc, and mineral oil.

Disintegrants are used to facilitate dosage form disintegration or “breakup” after administration, and generally include, but are not limited to, starch, sodium starch glycolate, sodium carboxymethyl starch, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, pregelatinized starch, clays, cellulose, alginine, gums or cross linked polymers, such as cross-linked PVP (Polyplasdone XL from GAF Chemical Corp).

Stabilizers are used to inhibit or retard drug decomposition reactions which include, by way of example, oxidative reactions.

Surfactants may be anionic, cationic, amphoteric or nonionic surface active agents. Suitable anionic surfactants include, but are not limited to, those containing carboxylate, sulfonate and sulfate ions. Examples of anionic surfactants include sodium, potassium, ammonium of long chain alkyl sulfonates and alkyl aryl sulfonates such as sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate; dialkyl sodium sulfosuccinates, such as sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate; dialkyl sodium sulfosuccinates, such as sodium bis-(2-ethylthioxyl)-sulfosuccinate; and alkyl sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate. Cationic surfactants include, but are not limited to, quaternary ammonium compounds such as benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, cetrimonium bromide, stearyl dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride, polyoxyethylene and coconut amine. Examples of nonionic surfactants include ethylene glycol monostearate, propylene glycol myristate, glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl-4-oleate, sorbitan acylate, sucrose acylate, PEG-150 laurate, PEG-400 monolaurate, polyoxyethylene monolaurate, polysorbates, polyoxyethylene octylphenylether, PEG-1000 cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene tridecyl ether, polypropylene glycol butyl ether, Poloxamer® 401, stearoyl monoisopropanolamide, and polyoxyethylene hydrogenated tallow amide. Examples of amphoteric surfactants include sodium N-dodecyl-.beta.-alanine, sodium N-lauryl-.beta.-iminodipropionate, myristoamphoacetate, lauryl betaine and lauryl sulfobetaine.

If desired, the tablets, beads, granules, or particles may also contain minor amount of nontoxic auxiliary substances such as wetting or emulsifying agents, dyes, pH buffering agents, or preservatives.

The concentration of the compound(s) to carrier and/or other substances may vary from about 0.5 to about 100 wt. % (weight percent). For oral use, the pharmaceutical formulation will generally contain from about 5 to about 100% by weight of the active material. For other uses, the pharmaceutical formulation will generally have from about 0.5 to about 50 wt. % of the active material.

The compositions described herein can be formulation for modified or controlled release. Examples of controlled release dosage forms include extended release dosage forms, delayed release dosage forms, pulsatile release dosage forms, and combinations thereof.

The extended release formulations are generally prepared as diffusion or osmotic systems, for example, as described in “Remington—The science and practice of pharmacy” (20th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md., 2000). A diffusion system typically consists of two types of devices, a reservoir and a matrix, and is well known and described in the art. The matrix devices are generally prepared by compressing the drug with a slowly dissolving polymer carrier into a tablet form. The three major types of materials used in the preparation of matrix devices are insoluble plastics, hydrophilic polymers, and fatty compounds. Plastic matrices include, but are not limited to, methyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene. Hydrophilic polymers include, but are not limited to, cellulosic polymers such as methyl and ethyl cellulose, hydroxyalkylcelluloses such as hydroxypropyl-cellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and Carbopol® 934, polyethylene oxides and mixtures thereof. Fatty compounds include, but are not limited to, various waxes such as carnauba wax and glyceryl tristearate and wax-type substances including hydrogenated castor oil or hydrogenated vegetable oil, or mixtures thereof.

In certain preferred embodiments, the plastic material is a pharmaceutically acceptable acrylic polymer, including but not limited to, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid copolymers, methyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate copolymers, ethoxyethyl methacrylates, cyanoethyl methacrylate, aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer, poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), methacrylic acid alkylamine copolymer poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(methacrylic acid)(anhydride), polymethacrylate, polyacrylamide, poly(methacrylic acid anhydride), and glycidyl methacrylate copolymers.

In certain preferred embodiments, the acrylic polymer is comprised of one or more ammonio methacrylate copolymers Ammonio methacrylate copolymers are well known in the art, and are described in NF XVII as fully polymerized copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic acid esters with a low content of quaternary ammonium groups.

In one preferred embodiment, the acrylic polymer is an acrylic resin lacquer such as that which is commercially available from Rohm Pharma under the tradename Eudragit®. In further preferred embodiments, the acrylic polymer comprises a mixture of two acrylic resin lacquers commercially available from Rohm Pharma under the tradenames Eudragit® RL30D and Eudragit®RS30D, respectively. Eudragit® RL30D and Eudragit® RS30D are copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic esters with a low content of quaternary ammonium groups, the molar ratio of ammonium groups to the remaining neutral (meth)acrylic esters being 1:20 in Eudragit® RL30D and 1:40 in Eudragit® RS30D. The mean molecular weight is about 150,000. Edragit® S-100 and Eudragit® L-100 are also preferred. The code designations RL (high permeability) and RS (low permeability) refer to the permeability properties of these agents. Eudragit® RL/RS mixtures are insoluble in water and in digestive fluids. However, multiparticulate systems formed to include the same are swellable and permeable in aqueous solutions and digestive fluids.

The polymers described above such as Eudragit® RL/RS may be mixed together in any desired ratio in order to ultimately obtain a sustained-release formulation having a desirable dissolution profile. Desirable sustained-release multiparticulate systems may be obtained, for instance, from 100% Eudragit® RL, 50% Eudragit® RL and 50% Eudragit® RS, and 10% Eudragit® RL and 90% Eudragit® RS. One skilled in the art will recognize that other acrylic polymers may also be used, such as, for example, Eudragit® L.

Alternatively, extended release formulations can be prepared using osmotic systems or by applying a semi-permeable coating to the dosage form. In the latter case, the desired drug release profile can be achieved by combining low permeable and high permeable coating materials in suitable proportion.

The devices with different drug release mechanisms described above can be combined in a final dosage form comprising single or multiple units. Examples of multiple units include, but are not limited to, multilayer tablets and capsules containing tablets, beads, or granules. An immediate release portion can be added to the extended release system by means of either applying an immediate release layer on top of the extended release core using a coating or compression process or in a multiple unit system such as a capsule containing extended and immediate release beads.

Extended release tablets containing hydrophilic polymers are prepared by techniques commonly known in the art such as direct compression, wet granulation, or dry granulation. Their formulations usually incorporate polymers, diluents, binders, and lubricants as well as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The usual diluents include inert powdered substances such as starches, powdered cellulose, especially crystalline and microcrystalline cellulose, sugars such as fructose, mannitol and sucrose, grain flours and similar edible powders. Typical diluents include, for example, various types of starch, lactose, mannitol, kaolin, calcium phosphate or sulfate, inorganic salts such as sodium chloride and powdered sugar. Powdered cellulose derivatives are also useful. Typical tablet binders include substances such as starch, gelatin and sugars such as lactose, fructose, and glucose. Natural and synthetic gums, including acacia, alginates, methylcellulose, and polyvinylpyrrolidone can also be used. Polyethylene glycol, hydrophilic polymers, ethylcellulose and waxes can also serve as binders. A lubricant is necessary in a tablet formulation to prevent the tablet and punches from sticking in the die. The lubricant is chosen from such slippery solids as talc, magnesium and calcium stearate, stearic acid and hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Extended release tablets containing wax materials are generally prepared using methods known in the art such as a direct blend method, a congealing method, and an aqueous dispersion method. In the congealing method, the drug is mixed with a wax material and either spray-congealed or congealed and screened and processed.

Delayed release formulations are created by coating a solid dosage form with a polymer film, which is insoluble in the acidic environment of the stomach, and soluble in the neutral environment of the small intestine.

The delayed release dosage units can be prepared, for example, by coating a drug or a drug-containing composition with a selected coating material. The drug-containing composition may be, e.g., a tablet for incorporation into a capsule, a tablet for use as an inner core in a “coated core” dosage form, or a plurality of drug-containing beads, particles or granules, for incorporation into either a tablet or capsule. Preferred coating materials include bioerodible, gradually hydrolyzable, gradually water-soluble, and/or enzymatically degradable polymers, and may be conventional “enteric” polymers. Enteric polymers, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, become soluble in the higher pH environment of the lower gastrointestinal tract or slowly erode as the dosage form passes through the gastrointestinal tract, while enzymatically degradable polymers are degraded by bacterial enzymes present in the lower gastrointestinal tract, particularly in the colon. Suitable coating materials for effecting delayed release include, but are not limited to, cellulosic polymers such as hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose acetate succinate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate, methylcellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate phthalate, cellulose acetate trimellitate and carboxymethylcellulose sodium; acrylic acid polymers and copolymers, preferably formed from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and/or ethyl methacrylate, and other methacrylic resins that are commercially available under the tradename Eudragit® (Rohm Pharma; Westerstadt, Germany), including Eudragit® L30D-55 and L100-55 (soluble at pH 5.5 and above), Eudragit® L-100 (soluble at pH 6.0 and above), Eudragit® S (soluble at pH 7.0 and above, as a result of a higher degree of esterification), and Eudragits® NE, RL and RS (water-insoluble polymers having different degrees of permeability and expandability); vinyl polymers and copolymers such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl acetate, vinylacetate phthalate, vinylacetate crotonic acid copolymer, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; enzymatically degradable polymers such as azo polymers, pectin, chitosan, amylose and guar gum; zein and shellac. Combinations of different coating materials may also be used. Multi-layer coatings using different polymers may also be applied.

The preferred coating weights for particular coating materials may be readily determined by those skilled in the art by evaluating individual release profiles for tablets, beads and granules prepared with different quantities of various coating materials. It is the combination of materials, method and form of application that produce the desired release characteristics, which one can determine only from the clinical studies.

The coating composition may include conventional additives, such as plasticizers, pigments, colorants, stabilizing agents, glidants, etc. A plasticizer is normally present to reduce the fragility of the coating, and will generally represent about 10 wt. % to 50 wt. % relative to the dry weight of the polymer. Examples of typical plasticizers include polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, triacetin, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dibutyl sebacate, triethyl citrate, tributyl citrate, triethyl acetyl citrate, castor oil and acetylated monoglycerides. A stabilizing agent is preferably used to stabilize particles in the dispersion. Typical stabilizing agents are nonionic emulsifiers such as sorbitan esters, polysorbates and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Glidants are recommended to reduce sticking effects during film formation and drying, and will generally represent approximately 25 wt. % to 100 wt. % of the polymer weight in the coating solution. One effective glidant is talc. Other glidants such as magnesium stearate and glycerol monostearates may also be used. Pigments such as titanium dioxide may also be used. Small quantities of an anti-foaming agent, such as a silicone (e.g., simethicone), may also be added to the coating composition.

The formulation can provide pulsatile delivery of the one or more compounds. By “pulsatile” is meant that a plurality of drug doses are released at spaced apart intervals of time. Generally, upon ingestion of the dosage form, release of the initial dose is substantially immediate, i.e., the first drug release “pulse” occurs within about one hour of ingestion. This initial pulse is followed by a first time interval (lag time) during which very little or no drug is released from the dosage form, after which a second dose is then released. Similarly, a second nearly drug release-free interval between the second and third drug release pulses may be designed. The duration of the nearly drug release-free time interval will vary depending upon the dosage form design e.g., a twice daily dosing profile, a three times daily dosing profile, etc. For dosage forms providing a twice daily dosage profile, the nearly drug release-free interval has a duration of approximately 3 hours to 14 hours between the first and second dose. For dosage forms providing a three times daily profile, the nearly drug release-free interval has a duration of approximately 2 hours to 8 hours between each of the three doses.

In one embodiment, the pulsatile release profile is achieved with dosage forms that are closed and preferably sealed capsules housing at least two drug-containing “dosage units” wherein each dosage unit within the capsule provides a different drug release profile. Control of the delayed release dosage unit(s) is accomplished by a controlled release polymer coating on the dosage unit, or by incorporation of the active agent in a controlled release polymer matrix. Each dosage unit may comprise a compressed or molded tablet, wherein each tablet within the capsule provides a different drug release profile. For dosage forms mimicking a twice a day dosing profile, a first tablet releases drug substantially immediately following ingestion of the dosage form, while a second tablet releases drug approximately 3 hours to less than 14 hours following ingestion of the dosage form. For dosage forms mimicking a three times daily dosing profile, a first tablet releases drug substantially immediately following ingestion of the dosage form, a second tablet releases drug approximately 3 hours to less than 10 hours following ingestion of the dosage form, and the third tablet releases drug at least 5 hours to approximately 18 hours following ingestion of the dosage form. It is possible that the dosage form includes more than three tablets. While the dosage form will not generally include more than a third tablet, dosage forms housing more than three tablets can be utilized.

Alternatively, each dosage unit in the capsule may comprise a plurality of drug-containing beads, granules or particles. As is known in the art, drug-containing “beads” refer to beads made with drug and one or more excipients or polymers. Drug-containing beads can be produced by applying drug to an inert support, e.g., inert sugar beads coated with drug or by creating a “core” comprising both drug and one or more excipients. As is also known, drug-containing “granules” and “particles” comprise drug particles that may or may not include one or more additional excipients or polymers. In contrast to drug-containing beads, granules and particles do not contain an inert support. Granules generally comprise drug particles and require further processing. Generally, particles are smaller than granules, and are not further processed. Although beads, granules and particles may be formulated to provide immediate release, beads and granules are generally employed to provide delayed release.

In one embodiment, the compound is formulated for topical administration. Suitable topical dosage forms include lotions, creams, ointments, and gels. A “gel” is a semisolid system containing a dispersion of the active agent, i.e., Nox inhibitor, in a liquid vehicle that is rendered semisolid by the action of a thickening agent or polymeric material dissolved or suspended in the liquid vehicle. The liquid may include a lipophilic component, an aqueous component or both. Some emulsions may be gels or otherwise include a gel component. Some gels, however, are not emulsions because they do not contain a homogenized blend of immiscible components. Methods for preparing lotions, creams, ointments, and gels are well known in the art.

The compounds described herein can be administered adjunctively with other active compounds. These compounds include but are not limited to analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, antihistamines, antimigraine drugs, antimuscarinics, anxioltyics, sedatives, hypnotics, antipsychotics, bronchodilators, anti-asthma drugs, cardiovascular drugs, corticosteroids, dopaminergics, electrolytes, gastro-intestinal drugs, muscle relaxants, nutritional agents, vitamins, parasympathomimetics, stimulants, anorectics and anti-narcoleptics. “Adjunctive administration”, as used herein, means the compounds can be administered in the same dosage form or in separate dosage forms with one or more other active agents.

The additional active agent(s) can be formulated for immediate release, controlled release, or combinations thereof.

EXPERIMENTAL

Dual Tropic HIV Entry Inhibitor Scaffold from Virtual Screening Based on Combined CCR5/CXCR4 Chemokine Receptor

Bayesian statistical models were constructed using known CXCR4 and CCR5 active compounds from literature, and these models were used to virtually screen 5 million compounds in the Aldrich Marketplace Select library. The screen yielded 14 compounds of interest that were then tested for their anti-HIV activity for both tropisms in MAGI assay. Two compounds (FIG. 1, compounds 1 and 2) were active against both T and M tropic forms of HIV with IC₅₀ values of ˜20 μM. These initial hits were followed-up by a second round of virtual screening based on similarity and sub-structure searching. Another 24 compounds were purchased from the same database and tested. From this set, compound 4 (FIG. 1) was discovered with an IC₅₀ range of 0.8-3.8 μM against both HIV tropisms. This compound was then subjected to a series of biological evaluations to determine activity profile and confirm mechanism of action. Results are provided in Table 1 below for compounds shown in FIG. 1.

TABLE 1 Dual Viral Entry Inhibitors of M-tropic and T-tropic HIV

          HIV⁻¹ MAGI IC₅₀ (μM) Compd R¹ R² IIIB^(c) Ba-L^(d) 4 Benzyl-

25 17 Benzyl-

5.8 16 Benzyl-

0.8 3.8 Phenyl-

44 64 Benzyl-

68 60 Benzyl-

81 83 Benzyl-

13 17 Benzyl-

57 66 Benzyl-

6.4 13 Benzyl-

105 95 Benzyl-

>200 72 ¹H STD-NMR Build-up Curve for binding to m7CCR5, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and CXCR4

Saturation Transfer Difference Spectroscopy (STD) was used to study the interactions between m7CCR5, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, CXCR4, and compound 2 disclosed herein. Brandt et al., J Biol Chem. 2002, 277(19):17291-9. One registers a reference spectrum under conditions of thermal equilibrium with irradiation frequency set at a value that does not interfere with the compound or protein signal called the off-resonance spectrum. An on-resonance spectrum is recorded where m7CCR5 is selectively saturated giving rise to compound signals intensities.

The difference of off-resonance from the on-resonance spectrum results in the STD spectrum indicating proton that are in close contact to the protein surface. Non-binding protons cancelled out. The signal intensities can be quantified indicating the relative distance of the proton. Normalizing the measured STD intensities against the most intense can be expressed as percentages.

STD binding epitope studies of compound 2 interacting with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is shown in FIG. 2A. Spectra were collected on a 600 MHz Varian equipped with a triple-resonance cryoprobe, and STD spectra were collected with 512 scans at an on-resonance frequency of +0.5 ppm. Panel a) is a ¹H NMR spectrum of compound 2 in 100% deuterated phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH=7.4). b) STD NMR spectrum of compound 2 in PBS in the absence of protein. c) STD NMR spectrum of 1 mM compound 2 in the presence of 30 ng/ml HIV reverse transcriptase (CalBioChem). d) Binding epitope of compound 2 binding to HIV-RT obtained by integrating the signals from (c).

STD binding epitope studies of compound 2 interacting with m7CCR5 (isolated, bacterially-expressed CCR5 construct) is shown in FIG. 2B. Panel a) shows a 1H NMR spectrum of compound 2 in 100% deuterated phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH=7.4). b) STD NMR spectrum of compound 2 in DDM/DOPC bicelle buffer (1% DDM, 1% CHAPS, 0.2% CHS, and 1 mM DOPC. 100 mM HEPES, 150 mM NaCl, pH=7) in the absence of protein. c) STD NMR spectrum of 1 mM compound 2 in the presence of 10 μM m7CCR5 resolubilized in DDM/DOPC bicelle buffer. d) STDD spectrum of compound 2 binding to m7CCR5 obtained by subtracting (b) from (c). e) STDD binding epitope of compound 2 complexed to m7CCR5 obtained by integrating signals from (d).

STD binding epitope studes of compound 2 interacting with CXCR4 obtained from Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) membrane extracts as shown in FIG. 2C. Panel a) shows a ¹H NMR spectrum of compound 2 in 100% deuterated phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH=7.4). b) STD NMR spectrum of compound 2 in the presence of 30% untransfected CHO membrane extracts (lacking CXCR4). c) STD NMR spectrum of 1 mM compound 2 in the presence of 30% CXCR4-expressing CHO membrane extracts. d) STDD spectrum of compound 2 binding to CXCR4 obtained by subtracting (b) from (c). e) STDD binding epitope of compound 2 complexed to CXCR4 determined by integrating signals from (d).

Cell-Cell Fusion Assays

Cell-cell fusion assays measure specifically co-receptor mediated inhibition of gp120-induced fusion in the absence of other viral machinery, and these assays were used to explore the CCR5- and CXCR4-specific antiviral activity. A cell-cell fusion assay was constructed to simulate HIV-1 entry in the absence of other viral machinery. The assay measured fusion of effector cells expressing the JRFL envelope (CCR5-tropic/CD4 dependent) with HeLa-C14 target cells (expressing CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4) using a luciferase readout (FIG. 5A). Compound 4 (FIG. 1) inhibited fusion in this assay, like the CCR5 antagonist TAK-779, establishing the CCR5-based viral entry inhibition mechanism. In confirmation of CCR5 binding, compound 4 displaced the 125I-MIP1β chemokine ligand from the receptor in a radio-ligand competition assay, similar to several other compounds in this series.

Cell-cell fusion assays were established to probe the CXCR4-specific anti-HIV-1 activity of compound 4. A CD4-dependent fusion assay used HeLa/67 as target cells (expressing CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4) and Lai envelope-expressing effector cells (CXCR4-tropic/CD4-dependent). A separate CD4-independent fusion assay used ACTOne-X4 as target cells (expressing only CXCR4) with effector cells expressing the HIV-8x envelope (CD4-independent; requiring only CXCR4 and not CD4) (FIG. 5B). Compound 4 blocked fusion in both CD4-dependent and CD4-independent assays with minimal toxicity (CC50>200 μM) confirming CXCR4-specific viral entry inhibition.

Mitochondrial Membrane Depolarization (MMD) Inhibition

Compound 4 was tested for Nef-M1-induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization (MMD) inhibition, in which the viral Nef-M1 peptide induces MMD via the CXCR4 axis in Jurkat cells (FIG. 5C). Compound 4 inhibited Nef-M1 induced MMD like the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100, while maraviroc and AZT (an NRTI) were inactive.

Reverse-Transcriptase Inhibition

Compound 4 was tested for anti-viral activity against an HIV-2 strain that utilized CXCR4 for entry. As NNRTI compounds are inactive against HIV-2, this assay further explores the CXCR4-based anti-HIV activity. Compounds 4 inhibited this HIV-2 strain in PBMC cells in support of the CXCR4-based viral entry inhibition mechanism. The Nef-M1 MMD inhibition assay, CD4-dependent fusion assay, and CD4-independent fusion assay, and HIV-2 inhibition assay results indicate that 3 blocks HIV-1 entry and pathology by binding to the CXCR4 receptor. Compound 4 was tested for displacement of radio-labeled ¹²⁵I-SDF-1 from CXCR4, but did not dis-place the chemokine ligand at concentrations up to 1 mM.

Compound 4 was tested in a VSV-G pseudovirus assay in which viral infection occurs using the vesicular stomatitis G protein pathway independent of the CCR5 or CXCR4 receptors. Unlike the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100, compound 4 surprisingly inhibited the VSV-G pseudovirus. Compound 4 inhibited isolated HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-RT) suggesting that this compound acts as an NNRTI in addition to its chemokine-related activities. To confirm this, compound 4 was tested against an NNRTI-resistant viral strain containing the K103N/Y181C mutations to probe a binding locus. See table 2. Compared to wild type virus, antiviral activity for compound 4 decreased 20-fold against the K103N/Y181C mutant (70-fold loss for efavirenz (an NNRTI) in this multi-cycle assay). The dual chemokine activity of this series may aid in the delay of resistance compared to other NNRTIs. Select data for compound 4 and others are provided for in Tables 2-4.

TABLE 2 Data on Compound 4 Anti-HIV-1 Assay MAGI - HIV-1_(Ba-L) (CCR5) IC₅₀ = 3.8 μM MAGI - HIV-1_(HIB) (CXCR4) IC₅₀ = 0.8 μM MAGI -Toxicity TC₅₀ > 300 μM PBMC - HIV-1_(Ba-L) (CCR5) IC₅₀ = 2.3 μM PBMC - HIV-1_(HIB) (CXCR4) IC₅₀ = 2.3 μM PBMC - Toxicity TC₅₀ > 100 μM CCR5 Activity Assay HeLa-C14:JRFL IC₅₀ = 36 μM CD4-Dependent Fusion ¹²⁵I-MIP-1β 38% at 100 μM/ Displacement 88% at 1 mM CXCR4 Activity Assay Hela/67:Lai EC₅₀ = 70 μM CD4-Dependent Fusion ACTOneX4:HIV-8x EC₅₀ = 52 μM CD4-Independent Fusion PBMC - HIV-2^(a) IC₅₀ = 31 μM Nef-M1:CXCR4 IC₅₀ = 1.2 μM MMD Inhibition ¹²⁵I-SDF-1 Displacement 0% at 1 mM NNRTI Activity Assay VSV-G Pseudovirus EC₅₀ = 1.3 μM Isolated HIV-RT IC₅₀ = 9.0 μM Inhibition Multi-cycle with EC₅₀ (WT) = 0.9 μM Mutant HIV-RT^(b) EC₅₀ (Mut^(b)) = 19 μM (21-fold loss)

TABLE 3 R5 vs X4 vs RT activity MAGI Assay IC₅₀ uM RT IC₅₀ R= CCR5 CXCR4 uM

3.8 .8 9

.2 .1 10

.3 .2 10

10 >10 10

.6 .4 4

20 >100 146

43 >100 211

5 inactive inactive

1 2 1.5

.8 1 3

8 7 20

4 4 23

.8 1.5 4

>100 >100 >100

TABLE 4 MAGI Assay % inhib @ 1 uM % Activity of CCR5 CXCR4 RT @ 100 uM 92% 79% 4% General Synthetic Procedures—See FIG. 3 Hydrogenation A:

To a solution of the substrate in EtOH (0.1M) and AcOH (0.01 M) is added Pd/C (10-50% by mass). The reaction is hydrogenated under an atmosphere of H₂ between 45-55 psi on a parr hydrogenator overnight. Upon completion the H₂ is purged in vacuum and then flushed with argon. The crude reaction mixture is then filtered through two fluted pieces of filter paper and concentrated in vacuum. The mixture is then diluted with brine and DCM followed by basification with 10% NaOH. The layers are separated and the aqueous layer extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers are combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to afford the crude product which if necessary is purified by column chromatography.

Hydrogenation B:

To a solution of the substrate in t-BuOH (0.1M) and AcOH (0.01 M) is added Pd/C (10-50% by mass). The reaction is hydrogenated under an atmosphere of H₂ between 45-55 psi on a parr hydrogenator overnight. Upon completion the H₂ is purged in vacuum and then flushed with argon. The crude reaction mixture is then filtered through two fluted pieces of filter paper and concentrated in vacuum. The mixture is then diluted with brine and DCM followed by basification with 10% NaOH. The layers are separated and the aqueous layer extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers are combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to afford the crude product which if necessary is purified by column chromatography.

Reductive Amination

To a solution of the amine in DCE (0.1M) is added the aldehyde (1.1 eq) and stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then sodium triacetoxyborohydride (1.5 eq) is added as one portion and the reaction is tracked by LCMS. The reaction is usually complete within 5 hours. Upon completion the mixture is diluted with brine and basified with 10% NaOH. The layers are separated and the aqueous layer extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers were combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to afford the crude product which is purified by column chromatography.

Synthesized using the procedure from Shen et al. (2004). “Antagonists of human CCR5 receptor containing 4-(pyrazolyl)piperidine side chains. Part 1: Discovery and SAR study of 4-pyrazolylpiperidine side chains.” Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 14(4): 935-939. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.56-7.01 (m, 10H), 5.22-5.12 (m, 1H), 2.74 (q, J=7.9, 6.9 Hz, 1H), 2.64 (dd, J=8.5, 6.8 Hz, 2H), 2.48 (dt, J=12.4, 6.6 Hz, 2H), 2.40 (dd, J=6.4, 4.9 Hz, 2H), 2.35-2.24 (m, 4H), 2.24-2.12 (m, 4H). HRMS calc'd for C₁₅H₂₀O₃N₁ 262.14377. found [M+H].

Prepared by general hydrogenation procedure A from material 5-7, taken on to the next step crude. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.24 (t, J=7.6 Hz, 2H), 7.18-7.05 (m, 3H), 3.54-3.29 (m, 2H), 2.93-2.67 (m, 2H), 2.56 (t, J=7.6 Hz, 2H), 1.95-1.73 (m, 2H), 1.66-1.40 (m, 4H), 1.40-1.21 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 142.24, 128.56, 128.53, 126.06, 44.27, 36.07, 35.47, 34.30, 28.92, 28.50. HRMS calc'd for C₁₄H₂₂N, 204.17468. found [M+H] 204.17433. M.P. 157-159° C.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-9. Purified on 4 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-10% 3.5N NH₃ MeOH solution in DCM (165 mg, 57% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.53 (dd, J=5.0, 1.7 Hz, 1H), 7.61 (td, J=7.7, 1.8 Hz, 1H), 7.38 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.25 (dd, J=8.6, 6.4 Hz, 2H), 7.18-7.10 (m, 4H), 3.60 (s, 2H), 2.92-2.80 (m, 2H), 2.56 (t, J=7.8 Hz, 2H), 2.09-1.94 (m, 2H), 1.71-1.54 (m, 4H), 1.35-1.15 (m, 4H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 159.29, 149.32, 142.97, 136.53, 128.57, 125.82, 123.43, 122.08, 65.31, 54.48, 36.38, 35.76, 32.57, 28.98. HRMS calc'd for C₂₀H₂₇N₂ 295.21688. found [M+H] 295.21639 LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.646.

Methyl 1-benzylpiperidine-4-carboxylate (0.50 g, 2.1 mmol) as a solution in THF (43 mL, 0.05 M) was added to a flame dried 250 mL round bottom flask containing the Weinreb amine salt (0.26 g, 2.7 mmol, 1.25 eq) and stirred at −5° C. Phenethylmagnesium chloride (8.6 mL, 8.6 mmol, 4 eq) was then added dropwise and the reaction was allowed to stir until complete consumption of starting material at −5° C. After formation of the Weinreb amide the reaction was slowly warmed to room temperature and tracked by LCMS. After an additional 2 hours of stirring at room temperature the reaction was quenched with NH₄Cl (20 mL) and basified with 10% NaOH. The mixture was further partitioned with EtOAc and separated. The aqueous layer was extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers were combined, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to afford 1-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-3-phenylpropan-1-one (0.630 g, 96% yield). Scaleup: Conducted as described above but scaled to 5 g of starting material. Taken on crude to hydrazine reaction. HRMS calc'd for C₂₁H₂₆ON 308.20089. found [M+H] 308.20037.

To a solution of 1-(1-benzylpiperidin-4-yl)-3-phenylpropan-1-one (0.45 g, 1.5 mmol) in THF (15 mL, 0.1 M) in a flame dried 100 mL round bottom flask was added NaH (0.21 g, 8.8 mmol, 6 eq) and stirred at RT. Methyl formate (1.76 g, 29 mmol, 20 eq) was then added followed by 15-crown-5 (0.16 g, mmol, 0.5 eq). The reaction was tracked by LCMS and after 1 hour was quenched with 1 mL of H₂O dropwise. The reaction was then diluted with MeOH (15 mL, 0.1 M) followed by the dropwise addition of hydrazine (0.7 g, 22 mmol, 15 eq) and tracked by LCMS. After an additional hour of stirring the reaction was concentrated in vacou to remove MeOH. The oily residue was partitioned between water and DCM and bascified with 10% NaOH solution. The layers were separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers were combined, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated. The crude mixture was then purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient from 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH (9:1:0.5) in DCM to afford 1-benzyl-4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidine (0.235 g, 48% yield). Scaleup: Conducted as described above with minor variations to equivalents: NaH (4.5 eq), 15-crown-5 (0.25 eq), MeOH (0.33 M), Hydrazine (10 eq). (2.51 g, 35% yield). ¹H NMR (600 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.32-7.21 (m, 8H), 7.18-7.13 (m, 2H), 3.79 (s, 2H), 3.50 (s, 2H), 2.94 (dt, J=11.3, 2.9 Hz, 2H), 2.66-2.56 (m, 1H), 1.99 (tt, J=11.7, 1.5 Hz, 2H), 1.89-1.80 (m, 2H), 1.75-1.67 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (151 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 161.70, 141.37, 138.29, 129.49, 128.58, 128.41, 127.27, 126.18, 116.00, 70.74, 63.60, 54.14, 31.84, 30.03. HRMS calc'd for C₂₂H₂₆N₃ 332.21212. found [M+H] 332.21145. LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.620.

Prepared by general hydrogenation procedure B from material 5-12. Material filtered through celite to remove the Pd/C, concentrated, and then taken on to the next step crude. Analytical sample purified for magi assay on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient from 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH (9:1:0.5) in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidine. ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.30 (s, 1H), 7.27-7.20 (m, 2H), 7.18-7.08 (m, 3H), 3.77 (s, 2H), 3.41 (dt, J=12.8, 3.0 Hz, 2H), 2.91 (td, J=13.1, 3.2 Hz, 2H), 2.81 (tt, J=11.7, 3.8 Hz, 1H), 2.02-1.91 (m, 2H), 1.85-1.74 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 177.14, 149.03, 140.68, 131.58, 128.74, 128.52, 126.51, 116.92, 43.99, 31.80, 31.23, 29.91, 28.64. HRMS calc'd for C₁₅H₂₀N₃ 242.16517. found [M+H] 242.16551. LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.581.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient from 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH (9:1:0.5) in DCM to afford 2-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine (275 mg, 62% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.53 (ddd, J=5.0, 1.9, 0.9 Hz, 1H), 7.63 (td, J=7.6, 1.8 Hz, 1H), 7.40 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.30-7.21 (m, 3H), 7.19-7.11 (m, 3H), 3.79 (s, 2H), 3.65 (s, 2H), 2.95 (d, J=11.4 Hz, 2H), 2.62 (tt, J=12.1, 4.0 Hz, 1H), 2.10 (td, J=11.8, 2.7 Hz, 2H), 1.84 (qd, J=12.3, 3.8 Hz, 2H), 1.72 (d, J=12.3 Hz, 2H). HRMS calc'd for C₂₁H₂₅N₄ 333.20737. found [M+H] 333.20695. LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt0=0.555.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(4-chlorobenzyl)piperidine (170 mg, 35% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.34 (s, 1H), 7.29-7.23 (m, 4H), 7.21-7.14 (m, 5H), 3.82 (s, 2H), 3.45 (s, 2H), 2.91 (dd, J=11.4, 3.5 Hz, 2H), 2.62 (tt, J=11.7, 4.0 Hz, 1H), 1.98 (ddd, J=12.8, 11.0, 2.0 Hz, 2H), 1.94-1.82 (m, 2H), 1.75-1.67 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 141.43, 136.98, 132.92, 130.69, 128.61, 128.56, 126.22, 115.88, 62.79, 54.16, 33.58, 31.89, 30.05. HRMS calc'd for C₂₂H₂₅N₃C1366.17315. found [M+H] 366.17210. M.P. 163-165° C. LCMS 50-95% 5 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=3.221, LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.676

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(naphthalen-2-ylmethyl)piperidine (290 mg, 57% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.83-7.75 (m, 3H), 7.75-7.71 (m, 1H), 7.51-7.47 (m, 1H), 7.47-7.43 (m, 2H), 7.36 (s, 1H), 7.30-7.23 (m, 2H), 7.21-7.15 (m, 3H), 3.83 (s, 2H), 3.67 (s, 2H), 3.00 (dt, J=11.2, 3.0 Hz, 2H), 2.65 (tt, J=12.0, 3.9 Hz, 1H), 2.06 (td, J=11.5, 11.1, 2.3 Hz, 2H), 1.93 (qd, J=12.3, 3.5 Hz, 2H), 1.79-1.70 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 141.49, 136.07, 133.50, 132.95, 128.61, 128.08, 127.96, 127.92, 127.88, 127.75, 126.19, 125.82, 115.91, 63.74, 54.30, 33.65, 31.94, 30.08. HRMS calc'd for C₂₆H₂₈N₃ 382.22777. found [M+H] 382.22675. LCMS 50-95% 5 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=3.691, LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.757.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(naphthalen-1-ylmethyl)piperidine (275 mg, 54% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.34-8.31 (m, 1H), 7.85 (dd, J=7.8, 1.8 Hz, 1H), 7.78 (d, J=7.9 Hz, 1H), 7.51-7.42 (m, 3H), 7.42-7.36 (m, 1H), 7.31-7.25 (m, 3H), 7.25-7.18 (m, 1H), 7.18-7.14 (m, 2H), 3.90 (s, 2H), 3.80 (s, 2H), 3.02 (dt, J=11.4, 2.8 Hz, 2H), 2.67 (tt, J=12.1, 3.9 Hz, 1H), 2.15-2.04 (m, 2H), 1.96-1.82 (m, 2H), 1.76-1.67 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 141.61, 134.65, 134.08, 132.83, 128.63, 128.59, 128.07, 127.54, 126.16, 125.97, 125.84, 125.37, 125.03, 115.80, 61.66, 54.63, 33.86, 32.09, 30.06. HRMS calc'd for C₂₆H₂₈N₃ 382.22777. found [M+H] 382.22833. LCMS 50-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=3.078 LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.848.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)piperidine (305 mg, 68% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (600 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.33 (s, 1H), 7.26-7.23 (m, 2H), 7.18-7.13 (m, 3H), 3.80 (s, 2H), 2.97-2.88 (m, 2H), 2.59 (ddq, J=12.1, 8.2, 4.0 Hz, 1H), 2.11 (d, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 1.93-1.82 (m, 4H), 1.78-1.61 (m, 8H), 1.47 (ttt, J=10.8, 7.2, 3.5 Hz, 1H), 1.26-1.09 (m, 3H), 0.85 (qd, J=12.2, 3.3 Hz, 2H). ¹³C NMR (151 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 141.50, 128.58, 128.54, 126.12, 115.81, 66.25, 54.83, 35.39, 33.69, 32.21, 31.89, 30.03, 27.00, 26.38. HRMS calc'd for C₂₂H₃₂N₃ 338.25907. found [M+H] 338.25881. LCMS 50-95% 5 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=2.918. LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.746.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine (225 mg, 51% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.71-8.36 (m, 2H), 7.35 (s, 1H), 7.27-7.21 (m, 4H), 7.19-7.12 (m, 3H), 3.82 (s, 2H), 3.48 (s, 2H), 2.88 (dt, J=11.5, 3.1 Hz, 2H), 2.62 (tt, J=12.0, 3.9 Hz, 1H), 2.03 (td, J=11.5, 2.3 Hz, 2H), 1.89 (qd, J=12.4, 3.6 Hz, 2H), 1.79-1.65 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 149.62, 148.08, 141.13, 128.34, 125.98, 123.80, 115.74, 61.98, 54.13, 33.32, 31.69, 29.82. HRMS calc'd for C₂₁H₂₅N₄ 333.20737. found [M+H] 333.20729. LCMS 25-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=3.410, LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.589.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(4 (trifluoromethyl)benzyl)piperidine (270 mg, 50% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.55-7.48 (m, 2H), 7.42 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 2H), 7.35 (d, J=13.1 Hz, 1H), 7.29-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.16 (tt, J=7.0, 1.9 Hz, 3H), 3.82 (s, 2H), 3.55 (s, 2H), 2.92 (dd, J=11.5, 3.4 Hz, 2H), 2.63 (tq, J=11.7, 3.9 Hz, 1H), 2.11-1.96 (m, 2H), 1.95-1.79 (m, 2H), 1.79-1.67 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (151 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 141.45, 140.60, 129.12, 128.81, 128.46, 126.45, 126.10, 116.00, 61.07, 54.23, 33.85, 31.81, 30.12. ¹⁹F NMR (376 MHz, cdcl₃) 6-62.76. HRMS calc'd for C₂₃H₂₅N₃F₃ 400.19951. found [M+H] 400.19921. LCMS 25-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=6.198, LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.718.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)benzonitrile (190 mg, 41% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.50 (d, J=8.1 Hz, 2H), 7.45-7.39 (m, 3H), 7.26 (dd, J=8.0, 6.6 Hz, 2H), 7.21-7.14 (m, 3H), 3.85 (s, 2H), 3.52 (s, 2H), 2.88 (dt, J=11.1, 2.9 Hz, 2H), 2.64 (ddt, J=11.9, 7.6, 4.0 Hz, 1H), 2.08-1.99 (m, 2H), 1.92 (qd, J=12.3, 3.4 Hz, 2H), 1.79-1.69 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 148.30, 144.58, 141.16, 135.26, 132.05, 129.35, 128.30, 126.05, 119.00, 115.56, 110.64, 62.72, 54.12, 33.28, 31.77, 29.78.

HRMS calc'd for C₂₃H₂₅N₄ 357.20737. found [M+H] 357.20640. M.P. 164-166° C., LCMS 25-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=4.824, LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.60.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(4-(methylsulfonyl)benzyl)piperidine (185 mg, 45% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 7.84 (dd, J=8.3, 1.5 Hz, 2H), 7.51 (dd, J=8.3, 1.6 Hz, 2H), 7.32-7.21 (m, 3H), 7.20-7.12 (m, 3H), 3.80 (s, 2H), 3.55 (s, 2H), 3.02 (s, 3H), 2.93-2.83 (m, 2H), 2.61 (tt, J=12.0, 4.0 Hz, 1H), 2.10-1.98 (m, 2H), 1.90-1.78 (m, 2H), 1.76-1.68 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 163.91, 151.86, 141.01, 139.54, 128.39, 128.32, 126.05, 122.77, 116.80, 115.92, 108.05, 64.45, 54.29, 33.24, 31.62, 29.78. HRMS calc'd for C23H28O₂N₃S, 410.18967. found [M+H] 410.18947. LCMS 25-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=4.936, LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.609.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-3-chloropyridine (155 mg, 64% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.24 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H), 7.35 (s, 1H), 7.28 (s, 1H), 7.28-7.21 (m, 2H), 7.19-7.12 (m, 4H), 3.82 (s, 2H), 3.45 (s, 2H), 2.85 (dt, J=11.6, 3.0 Hz, 2H), 2.62 (tt, J=11.9, 3.9 Hz, 1H), 2.04 (td, J=11.7, 2.4 Hz, 2H), 1.88 (qd, J=12.3, 3.6 Hz, 2H), 1.78-1.67 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 151.83, 149.47, 148.59, 141.06, 134.61, 128.34, 126.00, 123.95, 122.44, 115.87, 61.45, 54.13, 33.31, 31.64, 29.82. HRMS calc'd for C₂₁H₂₄N₄Cl, 367.16840. found [M+H] 367.16849. LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.680, LCMS 25-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=5.672.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from material 5-14. Purified on a 12 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 9:1:0.5 in DCM to afford 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-2-chloropyridine (145 mg, 60% yield over two steps). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.50 (s, 1H), 8.37 (d, J=4.9 Hz, 1H), 7.48-7.42 (m, 1H), 7.35 (s, 1H), 7.24 (tt, J=6.5, 1.1 Hz, 2H), 7.19-7.11 (m, 3H), 3.82 (s, 2H), 3.58 (s, 2H), 2.90 (dt, J=11.7, 3.1 Hz, 2H), 2.64 (tt, J=12.1, 3.9 Hz, 1H), 2.14 (td, J=11.8, 2.4 Hz, 2H), 1.99-1.83 (m, 2H), 1.78-1.69 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 149.10, 147.62, 145.69, 141.05, 131.76, 128.36, 128.33, 126.01, 124.23, 115.89, 58.50, 54.28, 33.28, 31.76, 29.81. HRMS calc'd for C₂₁H₂₄N₄Cl, 367.16840. found [M+H] 367.16865. LCMS 75-95% 3 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=0.665, LCMS 25-95% 8 minutes MeOH:H₂O gradient >95% pure rt=5.457.

Prepared by general reductive amination procedure from methyl piperidine-4-carboxylate. Purified on a 80 gram combiflash column with a gradient of 0-70% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH 90:10:0.5 in DCM to afford methyl 1-((3-chloropyridin-4-yl)methyl)piperidine-4-carboxylate (9.5 g, 68% yield). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.47 (s, 1H), 8.40 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H), 7.50-7.42 (m, 1H), 3.64 (s, 3H), 3.56 (s, 2H), 2.81 (dt, J=11.0, 3.9 Hz, 2H), 2.38-2.24 (m, 1H), 2.22-2.09 (m, 2H), 1.94-1.83 (m, 2H), 1.83-1.72 (m, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 175.33, 149.14, 147.75, 131.66, 128.38, 124.20, 58.23, 53.06, 51.68, 40.65, 28.18. HRMS calc'd for C₁₃H₁₈O₂N₂Cl, 269.10513. found [M+H] 269.10513.

To a solution of methyl 1-((3-chloropyridin-4-yl)methyl)piperidine-4-carboxylate (3.0 g, 11 mmol) in THF (45 mL, 0.25 M) in a round bottom flask was added NaH (134 mg, 5.6 mmol, 0.5 eq) followed by dropwise addition of anhydrous acetone (1.30 g, 22 mmol, 2 eq) and one drop of anhydrous MeOH. The reaction was allowed to stir over night and tracked by LCMS. Upon completion the reaction was chilled to 0° C. and quenched with water dropwise. After quenching, the reaction was further partitioned between brine and EtOAc then basified with a 10% NaOH solution. The layers were separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers were combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated. The crude mixture was then purified on a 40 gram combiflash column with a gradient from 0-50% DCM:MeOH:NH₄OH (90:10:0.5) in DCM to afford 1-(1-((3-chloropyridin-4-yl)methyl)piperidin-4-yl)butane-1,3-dione (350 mg, 11% yield)

To a solution of 1-(1-((3-chloropyridin-4-yl)methyl)piperidin-4-yl)butane-1,3-dione ARP5-270 (335 mg, 11 mmol) in THF (11 mL, 0.1 M) in a round bottom flask was added NaH (91 mg, 2.3 mmol, 2 eq) followed by dropwise addition of benzyl bromide (175 mg, 1.0 mmol, 0.9 eq) and one drop of anhydrous MeOH. The reaction was allowed to stir over night and tracked by LCMS. Upon completion the reaction was chilled to 0° C. and quenched with water dropwise. After quenching, the reaction was further partitioned between brine and EtOAc then basified with a 10% NaOH solution. The layers were separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with DCM (3 times). The organic layers were combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated. The crude mixture was then purified on a 4 gram combiflash column with a gradient from 0-50% DCM:MeOH:NH4OH (90:10:0.5) in DCM to afford 2-benzyl-1-(1-((3-chloropyridin-4-yl)methyl)piperidin-4-yl)butane-1,3-dione (103 mg, 24% yield). ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.49 (s, 1H), 8.41 (d, J=4.9 Hz, 1H), 7.33-7.15 (m, 4H), 7.15-7.08 (m, 2H), 4.10 (dd, J=8.8, 6.2 Hz, 1H), 3.66 (s, 1H), 3.55 (s, 2H), 3.20 (dd, J=13.7, 8.8 Hz, 1H), 3.07 (dd, J=13.8, 6.2 Hz, 1H), 2.95-2.79 (m, 1H), 2.79-2.67 (m, 1H), 2.33-2.21 (m, 1H), 2.14 (s, 3H), 2.06 (d, J=4.5 Hz, 2H), 1.97-1.79 (m, 1H), 1.75-1.64 (m, 1H), 1.56-1.35 (m, 1H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl₃) δ 207.51, 203.45, 149.16, 147.80, 137.99, 131.71, 128.99, 128.70, 127.40, 126.84, 67.99, 57.99, 52.98, 34.83, 32.17, 28.68, 27.04

To a solution of 2-benzyl-1-(1-((3-chloropyridin-4-yl)methyl)piperidin-4-yl)butane-1,3-dione (95 mg, 11 mmol) in MeOH (2.5 mL, 0.1 M) in a round bottom flask was added anhydrous hydrazine (12 mg, 37 mmol, 1.5 eq). The reaction was allowed to for one hour and tracked by LCMS. Upon completion the reaction was concentrated in vacou. The crude mixture was then purified on a 4 gram combiflash column with a gradient from 0-50% DCM:MeOH:NH4OH (90:10:0.5) in DCM to afford 4-((4-(4-benzyl-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-3-chloropyridine dione (75 mg, 80% yield) ¹H NMR (400 MHz, Chloroform-d) δ 8.50 (s, 1H), 8.42 (d, J=5.0 Hz, 1H), 7.55 (s, 1H), 7.27-7.20 (m, 2H), 7.18-7.10 (m, 1H), 7.10-7.04 (m, 2H), 3.76 (s, 2H), 3.64 (s, 2H), 2.94 (d, J=11.1 Hz, 2H), 2.57 (d, J=12.8 Hz, 1H), 2.31-2.16 (m, 2H), 2.13 (s, 3H), 1.87 (qd, J=12.0, 3.7 Hz, 2H), 1.74 (d, J=13.3 Hz, 2H). ¹³C NMR (101 MHz, cdcl3) δ 149.15, 147.79, 140.74, 131.77, 128.34, 127.99, 125.92, 124.56, 112.95, 58.06, 54.04, 31.37, 28.79, 10.86

One prepares the following compounds using corresponding starting materials:

X4-IC50 R5-IC50 in TC50 in Synthesized Compounds in μM μM μM

137 73.5 >100

13 18.1 >100

24.8 16.7 >100

5.33 5.61 18.6

4.03 4.47 16.8

6.79 7.63 17.9

58.5 49.4 142

0.78 3.75 >100

13.2 9.72 18

5.30 8.52 60

1 2 >100

0.21 0.14 67

0.28 0.17 34

3.1 4.2 164 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and a compound of formula I,

prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein, ring A is a pyrazolyl; ring B is a carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl; D is a direct bond between T and ring A; E is CH₂; T is CH; m is 2; n is 0, 1, or 2; p is 2; R⁶ is hydrogen; R⁷ is alkyl, wherein R⁷ is substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R⁸ is individually and independently at each occurrence alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R⁸ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹; R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methyl sulfinyl, ethyl sulfinyl, mesyl, ethyl sulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethyl sulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.
 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the ring B is 2-pyridinyl, 3-pyridinyl, or 4-pyridinyl.
 3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the compound is formula IC

prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein, E is CH₂; U is NR⁶; V is CH; W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N; R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R⁶ is hydrogen; R⁷ is alkyl, wherein R⁷ is substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹; R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methyl sulfinyl, ethyl sulfinyl, mesyl, ethyl sulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.
 4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the compound is formula IM, or IN

prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein, R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁵ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R⁶ is hydrogen; R⁷ is alkyl, wherein R⁷ is substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹; R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; and R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methyl sulfinyl, ethyl sulfinyl, mesyl, ethyl sulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.
 5. The composition of claim 3, wherein Z is C—R⁴, R⁴ is alkoxy, and R⁵ is halogen.
 6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the compound formula IIIC

prodrugs, esters, or salts thereof wherein, W is C—R¹ or N; X is C—R² or N; Y is C—R³ or N; Z is C—R⁴ or N; R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are each individually and independently hydrogen, alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aminoalkyl, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ are optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰, R⁶ is hydrogen; R⁷ is alkyl, wherein R⁷ is substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹⁰; R⁹ is hydrogen or alkyl, wherein R⁹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹; R¹⁰ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹⁰ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹¹; R¹¹ is alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, amino, mercapto, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, (alkyl)₂amino, alkylsulfinyl, alkyl sulfonyl, aryl sulfonyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl, wherein R¹¹ is optionally substituted with one or more, the same or different, R¹²; R¹² is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethyl, amino, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, mercapto, sulfamoyl, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, ethoxy, acetyl, acetoxy, methylamino, ethylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, N-methyl-N-ethylamino, acetylamino, N-methylcarbamoyl, N-ethylcarbamoyl, N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl, N,N-diethylcarbamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylcarbamoyl, methylthio, ethylthio, methylsulfinyl, ethylsulfinyl, mesyl, ethyl sulfonyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, N-methylsulfamoyl, N-ethylsulfamoyl, N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl, N,N-diethylsulfamoyl, N-methyl-N-ethylsulfamoyl, carbocyclyl, aryl, or heterocyclyl.
 7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the compound is selected from: 4-((4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine; 3-((4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine; 2-((4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyridine; 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-2-chloropyridine; 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-3-chloropyridine; 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1-(4-(methylsulfonyl)benzyl)piperidine, 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)-1-(3-(methyl sulfonyl)benzyl)piperidine, 4-((4-(4-benzyl-3-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)-3-chloropyridine, 4-((4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)piperidin-1-yl)methyl)quinolone, and 4-(4-benzyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1-(2-chloro-3-methoxybenzyl)piperidine.
 8. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 further comprising another active ingredient. 